fifth grade interpreting characters unit...

Reading Unit of Study Fifth Grade: Interpreting Characters Unit 2

Copyright © 2010-2017 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools.

Fifth Grade Interpreting Characters

Unit 2 8/1/2015


Copyright © 2010-2017 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools.

Table of Contents

Background Section

Abstract .................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Background Information ......................................................................................................................................... 2

Sample Unit Section

Resources and Materials Needed ........................................................................................................................... 3

Why a script? .......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Overview of Sessions – Teaching and Learning Points ........................................................................................... 6

Routines and Rituals ............................................................................................................................................... 7

Read Aloud with Accountable Talk (Interactive Read Aloud) ................................................................................. 9

Lesson Plans .......................................................................................................................................................... 13

Resource Materials

See Separate Packet


1 Copyright © 2010-2017 by the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators and Oakland Schools.

Abstract In fifth grade unit 2 Interpreting Characters, students read fictional texts. In the first concept, Readers build theories about characters and use text to support their ideas; readers learn strategies for stepping inside and outside of their text to grow theories about their characters. Readers will learn to pay attention to the actions, choices, and treatment and behaviors of characters and ask what these details reveal about their characters. Readers will consider the objects that characters hold close and learn to look for patterns in their notes as a way to add to their developing theories of characters. In the second concept, Readers move from inference to interpretation; readers continue to grow theories as they read forward while revising or confirming thinking as they gain new details from the text. Readers use characters struggles and challenges to learn more about their characters and nudge their theories to more complex thinking with the support of language prompts. Readers will pay attention to the recurring themes in their text and see these and recurring details as another path to adding depth to their growing theories. In the third concept, Readers compare characters within and across texts; readers consider how two different characters within and across different text are alike in situations, behaviors and roles. Readers will compare the challenges characters face and use these comparisons to help them deepen their understanding for each character. In partnerships, readers will use questioning as a strategy to help grow their own thinking and that of their partner. In the final concept, Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow; readers revisit recurring themes in an effort to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story. Readers, additionally, will analyze their own thinking by revisiting notes, jots and flags to determine their individual strengths and goals.



Background Information Readers have had multiple opportunities to focus on characters while reading fiction text throughout their kindergarten – fourth grade years. This is not their first unit of study with a focus on close reading for understanding character. It is suggested to utilize a pre-assessment read aloud with the companion jot page (resource packet) before stepping into this unit. Any short fiction picture book or short story will work for pre-assessment. The story “Five Dollars” from Hey World Here I am by Jean Little might suit this need. Teachers will need to explain the difference in the read aloud structure for this pre-assessment and the purpose of the jot page as well as the purpose of the assessment. Plan to read aloud and stop in places to allow fifth graders thinking and writing time with the understanding that teachers will stop at least four times across the text including time at the end. The hope is to uncover the strategy use of fifth graders given their previous reading experiences and use this assessment as a snapshot to plan for differentiated instruction as well as tweak minilessons to align with the needs of readers. The same assessment structure, text and jot page can be used upon the completion of the unit for post-assessment. Assessment is always ongoing. Opportunities to see reader’s thinking in light of the objectives of the unit will come in the form of listening to the talk of readers during read aloud with accountable talk, partnerships, and conferences. Furthermore, reader’s thinking will be evidenced in flagged pages, personal jots, jot pages (resource packet) and the class jot lot. Take the time to listen to a reader read aloud if there is daily concern from lack of transference of the teaching point, lack of understanding or if there is uncertainty about appropriate reading level. The unit is clearly targeted on comprehension strategies and therefore, strategies for assessing comprehension will be put into play from start to finish and the need to listen to readers will fade. A collection of fiction books is all that is required in this fifth grade unit, along with the already established book bags, folders post-its and notebooks. Readers will think about characters, as long as they are reading text with characters in them. This means that teachers just need to think about the amount of fiction books needed based on readers reading rate and levels. Of course, teachers will be limited by the established book resources of their classroom, school or district, unless they enlist the resources of a township library. Some schools create literacy lending rooms filled with leveled text from all genres in order to support the work within the reading units of study. In this way teachers are not limited by their grade level texts when a reader arrives with a reading level below or above the grade level resources. Other schools, decide to stager the units, where one fifth grade is implementing Understanding Characters Unit while the second fifth grade teacher digs into an Informational Unit. This reduces the number of texts needed in each unit because only half of the readers will be using fiction text while the other half are using informational text. No matter the method used to compile fiction books, teachers will allow readers to shop throughout the unit with guidance when needed. Readers will still keep varied genres inside their individual reading bags with the understanding that fiction books are the priority here. Some teachers allow for mixed genre reading the last five minutes of independent reading time, while others allow readers to step into their diverse collections beyond fiction text only at other parts of the day. Helping readers understand that fiction books are needed to learn the work of this unit much like golf clubs are needed for a round of golf. There will be readers whose reading interest lies heavily in informational text and in these instances it will be important for teachers to think about ways to still honor the reader while also helping them find fictional books that perk engagement given the readers identity. Teachers will want to take the extra steps to match readers to levels as well as readers to titles, especially for those whose first interest is not fiction, nor reading. Partnerships are up and running and will sustain throughout this unit unless teachers see reason to change a duo. Unmatched reading levels or problematic pairings will prompt some rearranging of readers with any new unit. It is helpful to keep in mind that partnerships might also consist of three readers to support some partnership issues. Allow time each and every day for readers to come together to talk about their reading. If resources are available partners are choosing the same title of text as a first option. Reading, thinking and then talking about a matched title allows for the greatest depth of conversation. However, if titles are not available in pairs, readers will still benefit from sharing their storylines and character insights during partnership time. Partnership time is also a prime time for reader assessment. Additionally, read aloud with accountable talk is occurring daily in support of all reading comprehension work. Many titles have been read aloud at this point and may be suitable for referencing and utilizing in minilesson demonstrations instead of the titles listed in each session. Continue to read aloud demonstrating the way in which proficient readers weave multiple strategies together as they turn the pages, to understand characters, while also giving readers the chance to try this rigorous thinking with guidance. The hope is that readers will have experienced multiple titles throughout this character unit during read aloud with accountable talk. Teachers may



decide to choose some of the read aloud books based on known classics or teacher favorites, as well, as readers’ reading levels and interests. Texts of varied lengths, authors and genres of fiction can support the study of characters.

Resources and Materials Needed

See Resource Packet Unit 2

http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/classroom-libraries/current-classroom-libraries.html

Fountas and Pinnell Levels DRA Levels Number of Books

A-C level readers A- 4 10-15 books

D-K level readers 6-20 6-10+ books

L-N level readers 24-30 5-8 books, chapter, informational, and favorites

O-Q level readers 34+ 2 chapter books, informational, and favorites

R-T 40 2 chapter books, informational, and favorites

U-W 50-60 2 chapter books, informational, and favorites

X-Z 70-80 2 chapter books, informational, and favorites

Fifth grade readers from a school where Reading Workshop is aligned K-3 will have many routines and procedures in place on the first day of school. Teachers will want to establish the routines and procedures quickly for shopping, which should be done outside of the reading workshop block of time (before or after lunch, library day, before the AM bell, after the PM bell, during snack, or when students are finished with a test or an assignment are suggested times). An anchor chart can help remind readers of this procedure.

RESEARCH ON READING RATE: The rate at which readers read matters. If a reader reads Level M text (Magic Tree House) at 100/WMP they will only need two 30 minute reading sessions to complete one book. If they read closer to 200/WMP they will read one Level M book in one 30 minute session. Dependent on reading rate, these readers would complete either 2.5 books in a five day week or 5 books across the 5 day week, respectively. Help readers set goals based on their reading rate to progress through many books. Reading logs help show reading rate, set goals, and show goals met over time.

GRADE WPM GRADE WPM

1 60-90 6 195-200

2 85-120 7 215-245

3 115-140 8 235-270

4 140-170 9 250-270

5 170-195 12 250-300

Harris and Sipay (1990) Calkins Workshop (2008)

Title Level Approximate # of Words

Reading Rate # of Minutes per Book

Horrible Harry L 4500 100 WPM/200 WPM 45 Min/25Min

Magic Tree House M 6000 100WPM/200 WPM 60 Min/30 Min

Stone Fox P 12000 100 WPM/200 WPM 4 Hrs/2 Hrs

Hundred Penny Box Q 6000 100 WPM/200 WPM 60 Min/30 Min

Hatchet R 50000 100 WPM/200 WPM 8 Hrs/4 Hrs

Missing May W 24500 100 WPM/200 WPM 4 Hrs/ 2 Hrs

Allington (2000) *These are suggestions based on practices utilized by workshop teachers, which meet objectives outlined by the Common Core Standards. Teachers should organize as they see fit, given their resources.

http://readingandwritingproject.com/resources/classroom-libraries/current-classroom-libraries.html



More Resources and Materials Needed Teacher Resources

Gallon-size plastic bag for every reader

Fiction text matching leveled reading range of reader

Pens or pencils for readers, stored in bags

Post-its/sticky notes stored in bags

Readers Notebooks-composition or spiral

Pocket Folders –hold logs, book list, conference notes etc.

Abundance of chart paper

Abundance of assorted colors and sizes of paper for individual or small group charts

Abundance of post-it/sticky notes in all kinds of shapes and sizes

Easel

Meeting area

Markers

Professional Resources

Calkins, L. (2001). The Art of Teaching Reading. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Goldberg, G. & Serravallo, J. (2007). Conferring with Readers: Supporting Each Student’s Growth & Independence. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Serravallo, J. (2010). Teaching Reading in Small Groups: Differentiated Instruction for Building Strategic, Independent Readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Calkins, L. & Tolan K. (2010). Units of Study for Teaching Reading: A Curriculum for the Reading Workshop, Grades 3-5, Book 1: Building a Reading Life. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Calkins, L. (2011). A Curricular Plan for the Reading Workshop, Grade 3. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

None of the suggested book titles in these lessons are needed if you have titles that match the suggested books’ genres and characteristics. In other words, there are thousands of books that would work during demonstrations and throughout your minilesson. The titles in these lessons are all suggestions to help you make choices beyond our recommendations.



Why a Script? The following unit has been written in script form to help guide and support teachers in implementing effective reading instruction; routines, procedures, strategies and specific instructional vocabulary. In other words, the script serves as a “reading coach” for teachers. Teachers, whether new to the teaching profession or new to reading workshop, or new to some common core standards, may benefit from having detailed lesson plans. The goal is that in time teachers will no longer need a script per se because they will have had time to study and gain procedural knowledge for many of the common core units of study. Also, many teachers feel a script serves as a guide for guest/substitute teachers or student teachers. Please view these scripts as a framework from which to work – rewrite, revise, and reshape them to fit your teaching style, your students, and your needs. Additional lesson information: Balanced Literacy Program (BLP) – A Balanced Literacy Program which is necessary to support literacy acquisition includes: reading and writing workshop, word study, read-aloud with accountable talk, small group, shared reading and writing, and interactive writing. Teachers should make every effort to include all components of a balanced literacy program into their language arts block. Reading and Writing workshop are only one part of a balanced literacy program. The MAISA unit framework is based on a workshop approach. Therefore, teachers will also need to include the other components to support student learning. Mini-lesson- A mini-lesson is a short (5-10 minute) focused lesson where the teacher directly instructs on a skill, strategy or habit students will need to use in independent work. A mini-lesson has a set architecture. Independent Reading and Conferring – Following the mini-lesson, students will be sent off to read independently. During independent reading time teachers will confer with individuals or small groups of students. Mid-workshop Teaching Point – The purpose of a mid-workshop teaching point is to speak to the whole class, often halfway into the work time. Teachers may relay an observation from a conference, extend or reinforce the teaching point, highlight a particular example of good work, or steer children around a peer problem. Add or modify mid-workshop teaching points based on students’ needs. Partnership Work- Partnership work is an essential component of the reading workshop structure. In addition to private reading, partnerships allow time

each day for students to read and talk together, as well as provide support for stamina. Each session includes suggestions for possible

partnership work. Add or modify based on students’ needs.

Share Component – Each lesson includes a possible share option. Teachers may modify based on students’ needs. Other share options may include: follow-

up on a mini-lesson to reinforce and/or clarify the teaching point; problem solve to build community; review to recall prior learning and

build repertoire of strategies; preview tomorrow’s mini lesson; or celebrate learning via the work of a few students or partner/whole

class share (source: Teachers College Reading and Writing Project).



Overview of Sessions – Teaching and Learning Points Alter this unit based on students’ needs, resources available, and your teaching style. Add and subtract according to what works for you and your students.

Concept I: Readers build theories about characters and use text to support their ideas Session 1 Readers step inside and outside of the story to build theories about characters Session 2 Readers pay attention to the actions and choices of characters to reveal what they are like Session 3 Readers pay attention to the way other characters treat the main character to learn more Session 4 Readers notice when characters act in surprising ways and think about what this reveals about them Session 5 Readers use precise, exact words to describe characters action Session 6 Readers think about what they learn from the objects a character holds close Session 7 Readers search for patterns in their notes to nudge thinking about characters Concept II Readers move from inference to interpretation Session 8 Readers continue to read with their theories in mind and revise or confirm thinking Session 9 Readers pay attention to character’s struggles/challenges and see them as turning points Session 10 Readers use prompts to develop complex ideas about characters Session 11 Readers pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories to grow deeper theories Concept III Readers compare characters within and across texts Session 12 Readers compare how characters and their situations are alike Session 13 Readers compare how characters face their challenges and overcome them Session 14 Readers uncover characters in parallel roles and compare them to learn more Session 15 Readers nudge themselves and others to make deeper comparisons between characters Concept IV Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow Session 16 Readers use recurring themes to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story Session 17 Readers analyze their own reading and thinking to determine strengths and goals



Routines and Rituals: Building a Community of Independent Readers Reading workshops are structured in predictable, consistent ways so that the infrastructure of any one workshop is almost the same throughout the year and throughout a child’s elementary school experience (Calkins, 2005). One means of developing a community of independent readers is to implement routines and rituals that are consistent within and across grade levels. A few lessons in each launching unit are devoted to the management of a reading classroom. However, depending on student need and experience, additional lessons on management may be needed. Also, it is assumed that many of these routines and rituals go across curricular areas so they will be addressed and taught throughout the school day and not just in reading workshop. This shift in focus allows more mini lessons to be devoted to supporting students in cycling through the reading process and acquiring a toolbox of reading strategies. The following are a collection of routines and rituals teachers may want to review. Select based on students’ needs. Routines

Opening Routine

Mini-Lessons

Sending children off to work

Independent work time

Closing Routine or Share

Partnerships Opening Routine – Beginning Each Day’s Reading Instruction

Meeting area/ Room arrangement

Signal for students to meet for reading workshop

What to bring to meeting area

Partnerships at meeting area Mini-lessons – The Fuel for Continued Growth

Student expectations as they participate in a mini lesson

Partnership guidelines

How students sit during a mini-lesson and share

Sending Children Off to Work – Transition from Mini-lesson to Work Time

Expectation to “go off” and get started working

Dismissal options

Independent Work Time – Students Working on their Own

Assigned reading spots

Getting started

Students work initially without teacher guidance and/or conference

Nature of Children’s Work – Reading focus

Role of Mini-lesson

Conversations in Reading Workshop: productive talk, silent reading time & whole-class intervals for partnership talks

Signal for noise volume

Mid-Workshop Teaching Point

Flexible reading groups (strategy or guided reading)

Teacher conferences

Productivity – early in the year, later in the year (expectations)

What to do if you need assistance – Example: “Three before me” (Students must ask three students before asking the teacher.) Closing Routine – Managing the Share Session

Signal to meet



Share session at meeting Area

Celebration of Growth Partnership Routine – Being an Effective Partner It is recommended that several mid-workshop teaching points focus on teaching students how to build effective partnerships.

Turning and Talking – discussing something with a partner per teacher’s guidance

Who goes first?

Compliments can be helpful when they are specific

Constructive suggestions – people can be sensitive about their work, so it’s best to ask questions or give suggestions in a gentle way

One helpful way to listen (or read) a partner’s work is to see if everything is clear and makes sense

How partners can help us when we are stuck

Effective questions to ask partners

If your partner has a suggestion, it may be worth trying (value the input/role of partnerships)

Appropriate times to meet with your partner, where to meet with your partner, why to meet with your partner



Read Aloud with Accountable Talk (Interactive Read Aloud) Read -aloud with accountable talk is a critical component of a balanced literacy program. The purpose of read-aloud with accountable talk is to model the work that readers do to comprehend books and to nurture ideas and theories about stories, characters and text. During this interactive demonstration, the teacher has purposely selected text and flagged pages with the intention to teach a specific skill or strategy. The teacher is reading so children can concentrate on using strategies for comprehension and having accountable conversation about the text. Students are asked to engage with the text by responding to one another or through jotting notes about their thinking. The teacher scaffolds children with the kinds of conversation they are expected to have with their partner during independent and partner reading. This demonstration foreshadows the reading work that will be done in future mini-lessons and units of study. In other words, what is practiced and demonstrated in mini lesson should have been modeled and practiced in read aloud before becoming mini lesson content. Since read-aloud is done outside of Readers Workshop the following planning continuum provides teachers with a map to possible foci within read -aloud. This planning continuum aims to support teachers with upcoming strategies that will be taught in mini-lessons and future units of study.

Suggested Books for Read Aloud and Mini Lesson Use: The text Wonder by R.J. Palacio is referenced throughout the unit of study, to support teacher planning but it is assumed that the reading of this book will conclude at least by the second week of the unit and a new “strong character” chapter book or short stories will begin at that point. This structure gives a reader varied modeling with more than a single story’s characters. This is why short stories, picture books and digital text are still listed and referenced within the unit and lessons. Any text, fitting the unit objectives and teaching point, is up for choice.

Short in length (Start to finish no more than 2 week read)

Plot and problems/issues of characters might be of interest to reader based on age/experiences

Themes relatable to reader based on age/experiences

Characters with personality quirks, habits, motivations, troubles and actions.

Characters that allow readers to walk in the character’s shoes; characters complex enough for readers to envision and predict as if the character.

Characters that help readers learn lessons they can apply to their own life experiences

These criteria and suggested text can be used to choose alternative text throughout the unit based on teacher/school resources.

Books in BOLD print are referenced in mini lessons throughout the unit to serve as examples. Digital Text

“First Position” - Official Trailer 2012 - Ballet Documentary (HD)” Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cOwCKODgs

Many short clips of popular/appropriate movies and TV shows will work here: “Dolphin Tale” – Offical Trailer www.youtube.com and “Nanny Mcphee” – Offical Trailer, www.youtube.com, are also fictional stories with characters to analyze. The need to watch the entire movie is not necessary when working the scenes into minilessons, read aloud time and share.

Picture Books –The use of short stories/picture books aides in teaching complex strategy work in quick time due to fewer words to read.

Just Kidding and/or My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

A Days Work by Eve Bunting

Keep the Lights Burning Abbie by Peter and Connie Roop

The Can Man by Laura E. Williams

Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen

Collections of Short Stories

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cOwCKODgs

http://www.youtube.com/



Hey World, Here I Am! by Jean Little

Chicken Soup for the Kids Soul by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Short Chapter Books (50-120 pages)

Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla

The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron

Edward’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan

Informational Text

Any short informational text related to content area studies or readers’ interest should be utilized within the read aloud and can be utilized/referenced in numerous mini lessons (Sessions 7-11) or reversely, the mini lesson teaching point referenced in read aloud with the informational text

Sports Illustrated for Kids’ Blog and News www.sikids.com

National Geographic for Kids http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

PBS News http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/daily-news-story/?topic_id=781&utm_source=FeatureWellB&utm_medium=Text&utm_campaign=Homepage

TCRWP: Resources http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Fifth_grade_researchTextSets-2.pdf

http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Hybrid_Nonfiction.pdf Chapter Books-Begin reading at least one story with strong character development near the end of Launching Unit in order to utilize and reference in Fifth Grade Interpreting Character Unit 2

Wonder by R.J Palacio-Referenced in Unit 2 Fifth grade Character Study

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Hatchet by Gary Paulson

Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick

http://www.sikids.com/

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/daily-news-story/?topic_id=781&utm_source=FeatureWellB&utm_medium=Text&utm_campaign=Homepage

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/daily-news-story/?topic_id=781&utm_source=FeatureWellB&utm_medium=Text&utm_campaign=Homepage

http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Fifth_grade_researchTextSets-2.pdf


http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Hybrid_Nonfiction.pdf



Reading Aloud and Reading Workshop Focuses Across the Year

September October November

Unit of Study

Readers Launch a Reading Life

Utilize narrative and informational text. Turn to narrative, strong character text final week

Readers Study Characters

Utilize narrative, strong character books, initially. Turn to nonfiction expository, narrative nonfiction and hybrid

nonfiction final week

Nonfiction Reading: Using Text Structures to comprehend expository, narrative and hybrid

nonfiction Utilize nonfiction expository, narrative nonfiction

and hybrid nonfiction

Read Aloud Books

Short (picture books/chapter books/short stories)

Plot and problems/issues of characters might be of interest to reader based on age/experiences

Themes relatable to reader based on age/experiences

Character development sophisticated enough to study and reference in Unit 2 Character Study

Books like Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla, Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen, and stories from Hey World Here I Am by Jean Little

Characters who deal with complex problems/issues that are not solved easily or entirely

Characters that allow readers to grow multiple theories into big ideas about the development of the character

Characters who allow readers to think interpretively across text, considering how two or more authors explore similar issues, themes.

Characters who allow readers to think about larger perspectives and messages and compare and contrast that thinking across multiple text.

Books to compare: Wonder by R.J Palacio, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick and Just Kidding and/or My Secret Bully by Trudy Ludwig

Books to compare: Shoeshine Girl by Clyde Robert Bulla, Dancing in the Wings by Debbie Allen, The Most Beautiful Place in the World by Ann Cameron

Text formatted with short sections of meaningful information

Topics and content of interest to readers based on age/experiences

Two different text representing each category; expository, narrative and hybrid nonfiction

Text with explicit information and text where the reader must use inference

Text about similar issues or topics in order to compare and contrast

Text like the ones found at: http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Fifth_grade_researchTextSets-2.pdf and http://readingandwritingproject.com/public/themes/rwproject/resources/booklists/nonfiction%20sets/Hybrid_Nonfiction.pdf

Read Aloud Focus (Each suggestion may build across days and books)

Readers imagine beyond the details to understand; scenes, time and place, characters, dialogue

Readers imagine where the action slows down or places where there are a lot of details to put together

Readers imagine what happens between scenes in stories

Readers pull earlier parts of the story into their understanding as they read forward

Readers stop and think when parts are

Readers begin reading knowing they must grow ideas about the characters based on their traits, interactions and thinking

Readers read characters just as they read people…they watch and listen knowing that actions clue us in to what characters and people are like Readers now that characters, like people, are complicated –they are lots of ways-not just one way

Readers look for patterns of behaviors in the main character and characters around the main character, too

Readers preview a collection of text, mapping out the organization, known and unknown, before beginning to read

Readers read and reread, looking for ideas that are new, unique, unexpected based on what is known and unknown

Readers of informational text use technical vocabulary when they are talking about their topic

Readers collect lots of bits of information but also think about how all the bits fit










confusing: reread, imagine, connect what they know with what they think now

Readers determine lessons and themes in text and compare and contrast between text (Example: Care for others “14 Year Old Turned Shooting Baskets into $100K… and The Can Man or Belief in Self “14 Year Old Turned Shooting Baskets into $100K, Shoeshine Girl, and Keep the Lights Burning Abbie

Readers listen to partners and say something back to their partner about what was said. (staying on topic)

Readers keep on open mind by considering others ideas.

Readers take turns talking and listening.

Readers participate in whole class conversations.

Readers continue a conversation through multiple exchanges

Readers follow expectations for talking with others (soft voice, eyes on speaker)

Readers ask and answer questions to seek or give help Readers ask and answer questions to clarify understanding.

Readers recount details and retell from the text (ticking across fingers).

Readers speak clearly expressing thoughts, feelings and ideas.

Readers use precise language (from the text) when talking about their characters

Half way through text, readers think about all the ideas they have and try to see how they fit together

Readers grow theories and read forward with their theory in mind

Readers know that the stuff that is repeated or throughout the text is sometimes the most important

Readers compare characters across books just like they might compare people in life

Readers use the challenges/issues the character faces to compare

Readers compare characters across books in similar roles (two main characters or two moms)

Readers compare characters with themselves-thinking about personal/similar struggles, goals, scenes

Readers see that characters can teach people lessons useful in life

Readers push their partners to say more by questioning, repeating what they heard, paraphrasing, asking their partner to compare across text

together (boxes and bullets)

Readers let text change their mind

Readers read narrative nonfiction and expository nonfiction differently

Readers get to know the characters in the narrative nonfiction just they did in their fictional books

Readers look for authors message in expository and narrative nonfiction

Readers pay attention to details to help decide what matters most in nonfiction reading

Readers think about how the author has them feeling about a topic and what caused those feelings

Readers sometimes have burning questions and need to look inside or outside of the text for answers

Readers pay attention to their hunches and confirm or revise their thinking based further reading

Readers of information find ways to teach others about their knowledge

Readers use their lives to find informational topics to read daily based on personal experiences, or those in the world



Lesson Plan Session # 1

Concept Readers build theories about characters and use text to support their ideas

Teaching Point Readers step inside and outside of the story to build theories about characters.

Materials

● Each reader has a bag of leveled books matching their reading level. Contents include: narrative strong character text in addition to a mix of informational, favorites, and high interest.

● If possible and strongly suggested (not necessary) reading partners have at least one strong character text that is the same in order to read and discuss as partners.

● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper

● Teacher’s conferring notes (clipboard/binder/tablet)

Assessment Checklist utilized throughout unit (Resource Packet)

Wonder by R.J. Palacio or chapter book with strong character development previously read aloud to class

Anchor Chart: Interpreting Characters and Building Theories (Resource Packet)

On Chart Paper or Bookmark (Resource Packet)

Prompts for thinking outside of the story:

I already think that …

I wonder why …

Maybe it is because …

I can’t believe that …

Maybe …

Tips Almost all of the routines, procedures and materials put into place in unit 1 will continue throughout the

year. Reading logs, “books to read” list, book buzz sign up and jot lot will be ongoing.

Fifth graders should be reading for 30-40 minutes each day, at this time, during independent reading. The stamina chart and timer may or may not be needed dependent on focused reading minutes during independent reading.

Most lessons assume that the strong character development read aloud text, like Wonder, has been previously read aloud before the lesson which references it pages.

Anchor charts are not mass produced and distributed at this time. The sample charts in the resource packet are supplied to give teachers an idea of what should be “anchored” in reader’s repertoire of strategies by the end of this unit. Adding a teaching point almost each day to the anchor chart helps focus reader’s attention on their tasks based on instruction. Teachers should feel free to use their own titles and words based on their teaching style as anchor charts are put into use. Supplying each reader with an individual chart once a string of lessons has been taught certainly is appropriate and supportive. Additionally, expectations from previous grade levels might be turned into table tents or individual book marks, reminding readers to use what they know.

When working on deepening comprehension, it can be helpful for readers to see the text that teachers are demonstrating with and the text teachers expect readers to use during the active engagement. Providing the text on a document camera or smart board allows readers to see exactly what you are flagging or pointing out and also allows them to reread for understanding when it is their turn to try out the strategies.

Make sure chapter 1 through 6, Wonder, have been read aloud before session 1. Additionally, jot and post notes throughout the read aloud to reference in minilessons (Teacher’s read aloud notes should look like the note expectations of students.

Begin reading the chapter book Wonder by R.J. Palacio, if you did not read it beginning in unit 1. You will read about approximately 15-20 pages each day. Read pages 3-16 aloud prior to this session. You will be referring back to this story throughout this reading unit.

Have students bring their independent reading books, reader’s notebooks, and a pencil to the meeting area.

Connection Readers, I notice that many of you are envisioning, predicting, and identifying with the characters in your

books as you read. You are already doing the work of careful, thoughtful powerful readers.

Today we will begin a new unit of study where we take a close look at the characters in the stories we read



– studying what they are really like on the inside.

Today I want to teach you that Readers step inside and outside of the story to build theories about characters.

Teach Readers, when you read sometimes you step inside the story, envisioning what is happening and worrying about what will happen next. It is like you are part of the story.

Demonstrate how you quickly come to empathize with August in the story Wonder, and what it must be like to be him. This is stepping inside the story.

Provide an example based on previous read aloud-like page 4 in Wonder, imagining being August dealing with all his surgeries

You also step outside of the story, thinking about the characters and trying to figure out what they are really like. You keep these ideas to yourself, in notes, until you get the chance to share your ideas with others. Then, when you talk to someone else, your ideas have a chance to grow and become more significant.

We can use the following prompts to help us get started with thinking outside of the story:

I already think that …

I wonder why …

Maybe it is because …

I can’t believe that …

Maybe …

For example, at this part of the story, I already think that August must be a really strong kid to have gone through all of those surgeries. I’m thinking, maybe he is really grown-up because he’s had to deal with real grown-up problems, doctors and nurses, hospitals and recovering.

Readers, do you see how my first thinking- inside the story- showed that I understood how August must feel and this second thinking isn’t about feeling like August. It’s about what I think about him based on the details in the story? This second thinking is helping me build a theory about August…that he is strong and grown-up even though he is only a fifth grader.

Active Engagement

Have students look back into their independent reading books and locate a place where they could really envision what was happening and felt like they were part of the story.

Then have them step outside of the story and use the prompts listed above to help them begin to build a theory about one of the characters in their book.

Have partners turn and talk using the prompts and their text to think inside and outside of the story.

Link So readers, today, step inside your stories as you read, and then when you stop reading, step outside your stories and look back to begin to build ideas about the characters. You may use your post-its or your notebooks to hold onto your thinking whether it is inside or outside of the story. Just remember to write the book title and page number if you are working in your notebook.

Get out your independent reading books and continue reading where you left off last night. As you read, use sticky notes to mark especially powerful passages that you want to share with your partners. Later, we will share ideas about our characters with our partners. Take a moment to fill out your log when you get to your reading spot before you begin reading.


Share what you are noticing about the work readers are doing.

Share an exemplar example if possible.

Partnerships Remind readers to share their flagged pages and that you will be listening into their conversations to assess conversation skill as well as their ability to think inside and outside of the story.

After-the- Workshop Share

Readers, I have titled a new chart which reads, “Interpreting Characters and Building Theories”. Over the next few weeks I will show you many strategies for interpreting our characters and building theories as we read.

I wrote here, Readers step inside and outside a story to build theories about characters.

This is a strategy you can use on every page as we work through our character study.





Teaching Point Readers pay attention to the actions and choices of characters to reveal what they are like

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Tips Make sure chapters 7 through 16, Wonder, have been read aloud before session 3.

In most lessons, after the Active Engagement, it is the teacher who shares exemplar examples of what was overheard while listening in to reader’s attempts with use of the strategies. This saves time within the lesson and also allows for teacher choice with what examples are showcased for the whole class instruction. Calling on readers randomly to share their ideas in the minilesson is not suggested throughout the units of study.

Ask readers to bring their notebooks to After the Workshop Share Time

Read aloud Hey World Here I Am, “Mrs. Buell” by Cynthia Rylant, Page 42 before session 4.

Connection Readers, when we see a person act in a certain way…we know their actions tell us a little about that

person. For example, if I bring in cupcakes for the class you might say I’m the kind of person who is….

Could allow readers to call out ideas random –Just call out a few ideas. What kind of person would I be?

Also, when we notice a person making choices/decisions we also learn about that person. If I choose to or decide to come to school early to prepare for my day with you…you might say I’m the kind of person who is…

Just call out a…what kind of person am I if I come to work early to prepare?

Readers, we can tell a lot about a person AND a character in our stories by paying attention to their actions and choices/decisions.

Today I want to teach you that readers pay attention to the actions and choices of characters to reveal what they are like.

Teach I’m going to read a little of, Wonder and I’m also going to think aloud for you. I’m going to use all the details the author gives but I’m going to especially pay attention to the character’s actions or choices they make. I’m then going to think and talk about what kind of person I see them to be based on those actions and choices.

Read page 17. Stop and think aloud about August’s action “I sort of hid behind Mom as I walked” in first paragraph

Stop again in 6th paragraph and think aloud about August’s choice and action “…but I didn’t want to look at her face, so I kept staring at her glasses”

Example: When I think about August’s action –him hiding behind his mom – it tells me that he is afraid, nervous, embarrassed possibly…he’s never gone to a real school and he’s worried about what they are going to think about him given his face.

When I think about his choice to not look at Mrs. Garcia- it makes me think that he doesn’t want to look at her because he knows that she is uncomfortable with the way he looks, he doesn’t want to see her reaction…which tells me that he’s really aware that people are uncomfortable with the way he looks.

Readers, do you see how paying attention to August’s actions and choices reveals a lot about him.



I now could write on my post-it or in my notebook- Demonstrate writing- August is really worried, nervous and afraid about meeting the new people in his new school because he is really aware that people are uncomfortable with the way he looks.

Readers, do you see how I wrote my thinking based on the characters actions and choices? This is what you will pay attention to today.

Active Engagement

Let’s try this here, right now.

Read page 20 second to the last paragraph, “I heard voices…” Stop after first paragraph on page 21.

Readers, I’m going to read this short section of text again. It contains actions and choices of the main character August. Listen and pay attention to his actions and choices. What are they? And what do they reveal about him?

Allow readers the time to turn and talk to partners

Teachers are listening in to partnerships and coaching as needed

Share one or two examples of the partnership talk overheard that exemplifies readers working with the teaching point.

Link Readers, today, read your books like we did right here. Notice and pay attention to the actions and the choices of your characters. Then take the time to either use a post-it or write in your notebook, with a page number, what is revealed about your character because of those actions and choices.

You will have time to share these parts with your reading partner.

This work is helping us grow theories about the characters in our books. Your noticing might focus on the main character…but it could also focus on the secondary or supporting characters.

For example, I could have focused my attention on the actions of Mr. Tushman and thought about what his actions and choices revealed about him.


Share jots or notebooks that show the work of fifth grade readers paying attention to actions and choices and using those details to reveal what their characters are like.

Partnerships Remind readers to share their jots and notebook pages showing actions and choices of characters.

Teachers are conferring with partnerships or meeting with small groups


Readers, let’s add to our chart, “Interpreting Characters” readers pay attention to characters actions and choices

But I have one more thing for you to think about.

We are doing this close reading and paying attention to characters actions and choices so that we can grow theories about our characters.

Based on the reading I did in the minilesson at the beginning of Wonder I could build a theory that August is worried, afraid and nervous about starting his new school because he is very aware that people are very uncomfortable with the way he looks.

I’d like you right now to look back and reread your notes holding the actions and choices of your character and I want you to write a theory you have about your character. Remember a theory is an idea you have about your character based on the reading and thinking you are doing. Today we are letting character’s actions and choices help us build a theory at this point in books.

Give time for readers to write in their notebooks before moving on.





Teaching Point Readers pay attention to the way other characters treat the main character to learn more.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Tips Make sure chapters 17 through 23, Wonder, have been read aloud before session 4.

See if you can find a partnership worth sharing with the class today for after the workshop share. Teachers might just describe the ways in which the partnership works and talks together and their process for making partnership time focused or allow the partnership to reenact their meeting as long as teachers have observed their process and behaviors.

Connection Readers, yesterday we learned that the actions and choices of our characters often reveal something

important about them.

Today we will think about another strategy that helps us interpret our main characters. It’s noticing the way characters treat that main character.

We not only notice how other characters treat and view the main character, but we also notice what others call the character, and the voice and body language people use around that character.

Today I am going to teach you that when readers want to think deeply about a character; readers pay attention to the way other characters treat the main character.

Teach Readers, I really want you to watch and listen to the way I use this strategy. When I am finished showing you how to notice the way other characters treat the main character to learn more about that character, I am going to ask you to explain to your partner what you saw me do.

Counting on your fingers. First, I will notice, how other characters treat the main character. Second, (on finger 2) I will nudge myself to think about what this reveals about the kind of person he is.

Remember readers on page 43 in Wonder, Mrs. Pesta is asking the kids to tell a little about themselves and it is August’s turn…and then Julian asks August why his hair has the tiny braid in the back…the class learns that August likes Star Wars…I’m going to read page Reread page 44, and notice the way other characters are treating August and then nudge my thinking to make a theory.

Read page 44

I notice … that Julian makes fun of August (page 44) in a way that is not obvious to everyone. August knows that Julian is being cruel, but he does not stick up for himself.

I think … that August is not always strong, and he doesn’t always stick up for himself. He sees the world as it is and seems to accept the way things are for him. Maybe sticking up for himself by finding fault with others, like how he corrected Julian’s pronunciation of the word ‘supposedly,’ is not really going to help him much in school. He will need to find other ways to manage himself in the world.

Active Engagement

Now, I want you to turn to your partner and the two of you think about what I did and see if you can describe how a reader notices the way other characters treat the main character and then nudges their thinking to learn more or make a theory.

Turn and talk to your partner

Share some of the descriptions you heard readers sharing that showcase connecting and empathizing with



a character.

Link Today, in addition to stepping inside and outside of your stories and thinking about the actions and choices of your character …add this thinking from today’s lesson by jotting a quick note like this (Demonstrate quick jot to represent your thinking from the demonstration)

So my post-it would look like this:

As you head back to read, I will write on our chart-readers notice the way other characters treat the main character to learn more


Share readers examples of the strategies in use based on the previous lessons in an effort to build a repertoire of strategies across time.

Partnerships Remind readers of all the talk that could be part of their time together based on previous lessons listed on the anchor chart.



Readers, today I found a partnership that really showed me that they knew the way a fifth grade partnership should work…(Could list that they came prepared with their jots and flags, listened to each other, kept eye contact as one person was speaking, stayed on topic, asked questions of each other, explained why they were thinking what they had shared)

It is important to remember that we are not only expected to be powerful readers, but also be powerful partners for each other.





Teaching Point Readers notice when characters act in surprising ways and think about what this reveals about them

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Jot Lot

Hey World Here I am, “Mrs. Buell” by Jean Little for Active Engagement

Tips The connection uses a personal story. Think of a time someone’s behavior surprised you based on previous

behaviors. Teachers should feel free to personalize based on their own experiences.

Read chapters 24 through 31 before session 5 in the book Wonder

Session 16 is the final day in Unit 2. If you plan to celebrate in ways that involve refreshments or donations, plan to send a letter for assistance if needed.

Connection Readers, yesterday we learned that we can pay attention to the way other characters treat the main

character in order to learn more about our characters. Today I want you to notice if a character surprises you based on the way they’ve been acting.

Tell a quick story about a time someone surprised you based on previous behaviors.

Just like people can surprise us, so can our characters. We think our character is one way, and then they act in a very different way. These surprises can help us truly understand people and characters.

Today I want to teach you that readers notice when characters act in surprising ways and then they think about what this surprise reveals about the character.

Teach Refer back to your personal story and ask yourself “why did _______act this way?” Make a few guesses as to why the person acted as they did. Characters like people are complicated they aren’t just one way.

Readers, do you hear how I noticed that _______ acted in a surprising way and then I asked, “Why did they act this way? AND THEN, I made a few guesses as to why.

If I do this same thinking inside my reading I have to think about how August is quiet and shy. He is self-conscious about the way he looks, and most people can’t seem to get past his appearance. He seems to be strong on the inside, someone who can stick up for himself, but often he just puts up with people staring at him and sometimes being cruel.

Demonstrate how you pay attention for when August acts in a surprising way. Reread pages 63 and 64 in the book Wonder. Stop in the places where August is acting in surprising ways.

Example: August is laughing at one student’s reaction upon seeing him for the first time. Then August and Jack finally talk and laugh together about August’s appearance. This seems out of character for August, who is so self-conscious about the way he looks. He seems like any other kid in this chapter, laughing and getting in a bit of trouble at school. August must feel completely comfortable with Jack. He is being himself, and we are seeing that he has a sense of humor, too.

WOW! Wasn’t that really surprising?

Do you see readers, how I am noticing what is surprising about a character’s behaviors? And then I ask, “what does this reveal about the character?”

Active Now I want you to think about the story we read just the other day, “Mrs. Buell”. I want you to think



Engagement about whether any of these characters acted in surprising ways and also what does that surprise say about them.

Did any of the characters act in surprising ways?

Turn and talk to your partner.

What does that surprise behavior tell you about that character?

Listen in and coach as needed

Share with the class different responses you heard from the class.

Link This is just another place for thinking and another place for flagging and jotting. If you find a place in the book you are reading where your character has acted in a surprising way I want you to stop there, and think about why they did. Jot a quick note of your thinking like this –(could demo quick jot/place in book)

This way you will be able to share your findings with your partner.


Look for evidence of readers noticing surprising behaviors by characters.

Share artifacts with class

Add “Readers notice characters act in surprising ways” to the anchor chart

Partnerships Remind readers to talk and share based on today’s lesson but also based on the long anchor chart of strategies collected.



Readers, I was thinking about today’s lesson and I started to wonder if it was mostly the main characters or secondary characters who acted in the most surprising ways. Over the next few days, I’m hoping you’ll help me think about whether only main characters act in surprising ways or if secondary characters do, too.

This is a little inquiry we can do together as a class of readers. If you find a main character acting in surprising ways please write “MC” for main character, their name and your name on a post-it and place it on our jot lot. If you find secondary/supporting character acting in surprising ways...then write “SC” their name and your name and place it on our jot lot.





Teaching Point Readers think about what they learn from the objects a character holds close

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Jot Lot

Tips Make sure to read chapters 32 through 42 in Wonder before session 6

Another way to connect with readers in this lesson might be to list a few famous characters from series or TV and movies that hold objects close. Examples might be from the Magic Tree House Series – Jack with his backpack and notebook, Marvel Superheroes – with their tools that bring extra power or someone like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson from The Lightening Thief

Have readers bring their independent reading books to the minilesson today.

Connection Readers, yesterday we learned to notice when characters acted in surprising ways. We try to avoid thinking

that a character is only one way so that we can recognize when our ideas or theories about our characters change.

Today I want to teach you that it is equally important to think about what you learn from the objects that a character holds close.

Teach The objects that a character holds close to them almost always reveal something about the character.

I notice … that August loved dressing up. He wears his space helmet (page 73) all the time until it is lost. He enjoys dressing up in costumes and being able to blend in with the other kids in ways that he can’t always do.

I think this helps me learn that wearing masks and costumes is one way that August can feel just the like other kids. He hides behind his mask so he can hold his head up high. However, his masks and costumes don’t always protect him. When he is dressed in his Halloween costume and his identity is hidden, he overhears Jack saying things about him that are unkind. This is very hurtful. Masking a problem doesn’t always solve it.

Do you see readers how I first thought about the objects or things the character liked to hold onto or keep near?. But then I nudged my thinking to what those things might say about the character. The objects helped me learn more about my character.

Active Engagement

Now readers look back into your independent reading books and think about an object one of your characters hold close to their hearts. These objects are likely to reveal something about what the character is really like on the inside.

Have partnerships turn and talk about the objects that their characters hold close to their hearts and what this reveal about them as people.

Share what is overheard from listening in and coaching Link So today readers, while you are reading, think about whether any of your characters have objects that they

hold close and then nudge your thinking to consider what you learn about the character seeing that the object is important to them.

You can flag your pages where you find these objects. You can use the code “O” on your flag or objects…but



you might also jot a note, about what the object is teaching you about your character.


Highlight post-it notes where readers have been able to code “O” for objects and also talk about what the readers has learned based on that object.

Partnerships Have partners share their post-its and flagged pages.



Add teaching point to anchor chart

Readers, characters aren’t the only ones who hold objects close. I bet if you think about it…you hold certain objects close too.

My middle son who is ten, still keeps a blanket on his bed that was his when he was just a baby. His grandma made it and when he was little he loved to loop the knitting around his fingers as he fell to sleep. The blanket is all ratty and worn, now…but I know he still loves it because it reminds him of feeling comfortable and loved.

Think for a minute…do you have anything that you hold close to you that might tell people more about you if they saw you with it or knew about it?

If you feel comfortable sharing about that object, talk to your partner. If not, just be a listener. Or

Teacher could also bring in an object that they hold close and allow the class to consider what that says about their teacher.





Teaching Point Readers use precise, exact words to describe characters action

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Character Trait List: Copied for each reader http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf

Tips Make sure to read pages 103 through 118 in Wonder before session 7

Ask readers to bring their independent reading books to the minilesson today.

During partnerships meetings, watch for a partnership that is using precise words, and juggling all of their reading work to talk with exact words to describe characters and their actions. Have them repay their partnership in a “fishbowl’ structure during After the Workshop Share.

Connection Readers, as I listen to you talk in your partnerships, during partnership time I am noticing that some of you

are using many words to describe your characters and what you are learning about your character while others are somewhat stuck with using that same three or four words each day.

Yesterday I heard a readers say that their character was really nice and she was nice and good most of the time. It made me think that there were probably other words besides, nice and good that the reader could have been using if they knew that they should really think about the exact words that match their characters behavior.

So today I want to teach you that when readers are speaking and writing, they use precise or exact words to describe their characters and the action of their characters.

Teach I want to show you how I use this character trait list to help me think of more precise words for my character than just nice or mean or good or bad

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf

I’m going to read a little and then think about the words I can use to talk about the characters I’ve read about.

Read page 82.

Explain how you first describe Via and her actions and THEN how you nudge yourself to use more precise words.

First: I envision Via as understanding. She describes all the people in her life as orbiting or circling around August as if he’s the sun in the universe and she understands that August has always needed special treatment from them all.

THEN: I think understanding might not be the most precise word to use. I rewind and I think more carefully about her behavior, her thinking and what she is detailing here. She does not only understand…she is accepting. She has accepted that her brother needs more time and energy from her parents than she does and so she doesn’t expect them to be at her games or plays. But as I step outside of the story, I also think Via is hurt by this. Even though she has accepted that everyone gives more to August it does hurt her, disappoint her, to know that she is left to the side because of her brother’s needs.

Readers, I hope you were watching and listening to how I first said one thing, but then I went back and I actually said more about Via so that I could be more precise about the words I use to describe her and her actions and her thinking. Did you hear the evidence I was collecting to support my thinking?





Active Engagement

Now, I’m going to ask you to think about one of the characters in your own independent reading book. Think about the words you would use to describe them at the particular part you are at with your reading.

Then look at the list of words that help us think beyond our own words…are there other words you could use to describe their actions, choices, thinking –behaviors?

If you have considered more precise words for your character, turn and talk with your partner about this new thinking and explain to them why or what in the story is making you think this way.

Link So readers, when you read today and you jot and talk with your partner, reach for the most precise words to describe your character and their actions. You will talk with your partner today, growing ideas and theories about your characters. I will be listening as you work together.


Readers, I am going to add our teaching point to our anchor chart

Show example and explain student’s thinking.

Partnerships Remind readers to reference the anchor chart to remind them of all the work they can be talking about together.



Readers, today I asked Eli and Jacob to share what they have been talking about in their partnership. Let’s pay attention to the way this partnership works together.

Have readers notice and name what the partnership does well given all of the instruction listed on the anchor chart.




Concept Readers move from inference to interpretation

Teaching Point Readers search for patterns in their notes to nudge thinking about characters

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Jottings and postings throughout the teacher read aloud book

Teacher Page of Post-it Notes (Resource Packet)

Student Page of Post-it Notes (Resource Packet)

Written on chart paper: This is important because…, This makes me realize that…,The bigger idea here is that…

Tips Make sure to have pages 119 through 132 , before session 8

In this lesson teachers are showing how to look at notes to analyze and grow new ideas. It will be important to have teacher jottings and postings inside a read aloud book to show readers how readers search for patterns of thought by looking back at their notes.

You might use or recreate the teacher and student page of post-it notes that is in the resource packet.

Readers will write in their notebooks today.

Read, “About Old People” from Hey World Here I am by Jean Little before session 10.

Connection Readers, we have all been jotting post-its as we have been reading our books and learning about

characters. Some of your books are overflowing!

Something we can do with all this note-taking is to take some time to organize our thinking by sorting these post-its.

Today I want to teach you that readers search for patterns in their notes to nudge their thinking about characters in new directions.

Teach You might use or recreate the teacher page of post-it notes that is in the resource packet.

Explain that you are going to flip through your read aloud book and pull out post-its looking for thinking that goes together or a pattern of thinking. Use a notebook and write page numbers on the paper for each of your post-its.

As you do this, explain that your own book reminds you of a kitchen drawer full of all kinds of stuff like spoons, ladles, coupons, scissors, rubber bands…It needs organizing. Just like your book needs organizing. There are so many things in the kitchen drawer that if you took the time to put items that go together you would be able to see what you have and you might even find some things you forgot you had.

Explain that the same thing happens with post-it notes holding all of a reader’s thinking. You have so much thinking throughout the book that it is important to organize it to see what you have and possibly find thinking you even forgot you had.

Think aloud as you do this by talking about how certain post-it notes go together because they follow a pattern or similar thinking. Group related post-its together on a single piece of page in the notebook and leave unrelated post-its isolated from groups.

Demonstrate writing a theory based on the thinking you are now having seeing the thinking grouped together. Use the prompts written on chart paper to show readers how to nudge their thinking about their characters in new directions.

Active Distribute the Student Page of Post-its (Resource Packet) and ask readers to do just as you did by thinking



Engagement about which notes go together.

They should also use the prompts to nudge their thinking in new directions.

Listen and coach as needed

Link Readers, today you will use your reader’s notebook to place your post-its into groups that go together. Look for patterns of thinking/jotting. If the thinking is related or on the same topic, put those post-its on one page in your notebook. Leave a place at the bottom just like you see on this post-it page so that after organizing your post-its on that page, you can write a theory you have or a new idea you have based on revisiting your post-its.

You certainly can use the prompts: This is important because…, this makes me realize that… or the bigger idea here is… to get your thinking started

So I should see readers, looking back over post-its, rereading, organizing post-its on pages and writing in their notebooks a theory or idea you have from your notes.


Look for readers doing this work of organizing post-its and showcase their process for the class.

Encourage readers to write a theory at the bottom of each page where post-its are grouped.

While conferring with individuals find a reader whose work could be shared during the after the workshop share time.

Partnerships Ask partners to share the way they grouped post-its and their theories.


Replay readers’ process for grouping their thinking and writing theories.

Add teaching point to the anchor chart





Teaching Point Readers continue to read with their theories in mind and revise or confirm thinking

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Hey World Here I am, “Mrs. Buell”by Jean Little

Anchor Chart: Analyzing Characters to Grow Theories(Resource Packet)

Tips Read pages 133 through 159 in Wonder before session 9.

Have readers bring their own independent reading book to minilesson

Today for after the workshop share time think about what needs fine-tuning, reteaching or extending based on the work you observe readers doing.

Connection Readers, a few days ago we were working on envisioning and we learned that we don’t make a prediction

and then forget we ever made it. We keep reading and see if the images in our mind are confirmed or if we need some revision of thought.

The same is true for the theories you are making. We make a theory about a character and then we need to keep reading to see if our theory remains the same or if something happens that changes our theories.

Today I want to teach you that readers continue to read with their theories in mind and revise or confirm thinking.

Teach For the demonstration teachers will need to replay work from the read aloud. Show readers how you made a theory about one of the characters in an earlier chapter and as you continued to read you held that theory with you. Explain how you adjusted your theory when new details were read

Demonstrate how this works using one of the theories that you created about one of the characters in the book Wonder. You might find that you are building an idea or that you are revising it. The key is flexibility. You might have made a theory about August near the beginning of the book like this:

August is the kind of kid who is strong on the inside. He sticks up for himself.

Demonstrate how you pay attention to new information as you continue reading. You might add on to your theory like this:

August is being defensive (pages 124-126). He was hurt by Jack’s comments, and now he is questioning whether Summer’s friendship is sincere. I think this is a sign of strength. August is challenging Summer. He wants to know the truth. He is standing up for himself.

Second example could be Mrs. Buell from “Mrs. Buell”

Active Engagement

Ask readers to think about a theory they have had about a character in their own book they are reading. Ask them to talk with their partner about the theory they presently have and how it has grown across the book.

Is their theory the same from what they thought in the beginning?

Has their theory of the character changed?

Listen in and coach

Link So readers, when you are reading it is important to establish a theory about your character from the details as soon as you begin to gather them, but it is also important to hold onto that theory as you read and



revise or confirm that thinking based on new details.

Continue reading, jotting and organizing post-its as you see patterns of thinking.


Showcase a reader’s work with holding a theory in mind and share with readers if the reader confirmed or revised their theory based on the details

Partnerships Remind readers to share their theories and talk about how theories have been confirmed or revised


Use this share time to fine-tune, reteach or extend the work you observe readers doing.

Add teaching point to anchor chart





Teaching Point Readers pay attention to character’s struggles/challenges and see them as turning points

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





After the Workshop Share- “First Position - Official Trailer

2012 - Ballet Documentary (HD)” Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cOwCKODgs

Tips Have readers bring their own independent reading books to the minilesson.

Make sure pages 160-185 in Wonder have been read before session 10.

The “After the Workshop Share” provides additional practice with the teaching point for today using a video. This will be a longer share time than normal.

Connection People and characters change as events in their lives cause them to struggle and grow. We call these parts

of our lives, turning points because certain events in your life turn you in a different way than you were at first behaving or seeing the world.

Today I want to teach you that readers know that characters are going to face struggles and that these places become turning points in their lives.

Teach Demonstrate how this works by referring to the story Wonder. Explain that Jack is motivated to help August because of how his brother Jamie reacted to August years ago (pages 140-141). Invite students to identify some struggles that get in the way of Jack and August’s friendship and how he deals with them by asking them to quickly turn and talk to their partner. Listen in. Restate what is overheard:

Julian was mean to August during the school tour (page 24) … Jack protected him.

Julian referred to August as a freak (page 154) … Jack punched Julian in the mouth.

Readers, characters have to use what is inside of them, what they are like in the inside, to overcome obstacles that get in the way of their goals. By watching how Jack deals with the struggles that hinder his effort to be friends with August, we find out what Jack is like on the inside. Guide students to understand that Jack has courage because he is putting his other friendships on the line. He really enjoys August and is doing what he thinks is the right thing to do. At these points or moments… you begin to wonder if this is a turning point in the story…will Jack, by punching Julian help people see that August is a friend just like Jack’s other friends?

Active Engagement

Readers, I want you to think about the book you are presently reading. Is there a struggle or a challenge that your character is facing?

Do you feel like there is/ was a turning point in what you have read so far? Or are you waiting to read on and find the turning point in the story?

Turn and talk to your partner about the struggles your character faces and whether you have found a turning point, yet.

Link Readers, our characters may face all kinds of struggles. August faces the struggle of not looking like everyone else, the struggles to fit in, the struggle to be accepted, the struggle to be in good health after surgeries, the struggles to make friends and trust people…Many times, when characters face a struggle and we see them set into action to do something about that struggle we can be on the lookout for a turning




point somewhere in the story. A part that will ultimately change the character, usually for the better.

Many times these turning points come towards the end of our stories.

If you are able to find a struggle you can flag it. If you are able to find a struggle connected with a turning point in your story, jot a note like “turning point” and we can talk about it with our partners.


Readers, I am going to add our teaching point to our anchor chart. I also want to tell you about a struggle and turning point that Alex found in the book he is reading.





We can always be on the lookout for struggles with people and characters and see if they are actually turning points in character’s or people’s lives or just a little bump on the road of life.

I want you to watch the trailer to a documentary… We are not going to watch the entire movie, just the trailer which tells you a little about the movie-like a blurb on the back of a book. But as you watch this trailer, I want you to list on your fingers the struggles you believe these dancers will face in this movie. There are many struggles they will face…just like August.

Watch “First Position” - Official Trailer 2012 - Ballet Documentary (HD)” Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_cOwCKODgs

Debrief by allowing partnerships to list struggles the dancers will have in this documentary

Also explain the there is probably a turning point for one or more of the dancers (for example a new teacher, a new reason to work harder, a chance to go to NYC) …could reply trailer when music and scenes are uplifting vs. when the music and scenes create a mood of struggle.

Or

Could share a personal struggle and turning point story from your real life.






Teaching Point Readers use prompts to develop complex ideas about characters

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Prompt Bookmark (Resource Packet) Could be blown up larger on document camera or written large on chart paper for lesson

Active Engagement will require teachers to refer to previous read alouds. Short texts from Hey World, Here I Am will be used as possible examples. “Mr. Entwhistle” from unit 1 or “About Old People”.

Tips Have readers bring their prompt bookmarks to the after workshop share time.

Read pages 187-204 in Wonder before session 11.

Connection Readers, as I listen into your conversations and look at your notes, I see that some of you are making pretty

obvious theories about your characters. Stories we have read together could have obvious theories, too. For example, in Wonder, it is obvious that August is being bullied. This would be a simple theory to make about August as a character because the details are so obviously telling me as a reader that August is being bullied by Jullian…I don’t have to do a lot of thinking to figure this out, do I?

This idea is really just a starting point for more complex ideas about August as a character.

A simple, obvious idea can be a great place to start to build more complex thinking. We sometimes start with an obvious idea but then nudge ourselves to more thinking. Something that can help us do that are prompts that start our help nudge our thinking.

Today I want to teach you that readers use prompts to develop complex ideas about their characters.

Teach Let’s work with my obvious idea about August…that he is being bullied. Let’s say that I am in a partnership and I say to my partner…”My theory about August is that he is being bullied”…But in my mind I know I have to nudge my thinking deeper to more complex ideas, so I decide to use this new bookmark that lists some language prompts to help me nudge my thinking.

So I read the first one….OK August is being bullied “This is really important because” it shows that August isn’t as strong as I first thought he was…it shows a side of him that is weak and unable to stick up for himself or it’s important because it shows that August just doesn’t care how people treat him, he’s accepted that his faces causes people to treat him in unkind or disrespectful ways so he doesn’t bother expecting people to be respectful.

Readers, do you see how that language prompt moved my thinking from August being bullied to so much more than that?

Let me try one more…Ok...August is being bullied…”Maybe this is because” August doesn’t know what to do about it... He’s doesn’t fight back because he is broken inside, he is exhausted by his daily dealings with people looking at him and starring…in his life and he doesn’t care if he’s bullied…because he feels like his face, maybe his life has bullied him.

Readers, do you see how I just kept thinking after I used the language prompt on my bookmark here?

Active Engagement

Pass out a prompt bookmark (resource packet) to each reader

Now I’d like you to try this. I’m going to give you an obvious theory from one the stories we have read



together. I want you to think about how obvious it is…how simple, then look at the bookmark and nudge this obvious theory to more complex thinking by starting your thinking with one of the prompts here.

I’m going to listen to you and your partner. See if each of you can choose a different prompt to nudge your thinking about my obvious theory.

Obvious theories: “About Old People” Kate does not like old people. “Mr Entwhistle” Kate cannot speak up for herself.

Choose one simple theory and allow thinking and talk with the bookmarks to nudge thinking to more complex ideas.

Listen in and coach as needed.

Plan to share a partnership’s talk with the class to showcase how they grew from a simple to a more complex idea by using a prompt.

Link Readers, in time, you will not need to use these prompt bookmarks. But at the moment I think they will help to nudge your thinking from simple ideas about your characters to theories that are more complex. I’d like to see this bookmark out while you are reading. If you have an idea about your character, let’s jot that idea in our notebook today. Then pick a prompt to think and write a little more about that idea. See if you can grow it from being simple to more complex.

I will come to around to read your notebook jots and listen in during partnerships to how these prompts nudge your thinking to more complex ideas.


Share a readers’ notebook jot that moved from simple/obvious to complex with use of a prompt.

Partnerships Remind readers that they will use the prompts to nudge thinking beyond the obvious or simple.


Readers, as fifth grade readers I am expecting you to think more than you ever have about the reading you are doing.

This thinking not only helps you in your reading but also in your life.

Let’s try this for a minute…I could make an obvious statement about MR./MRS. ______(principal). Say something simple but true about Principal _______ that students can relate to (is nice, is strict, is busy). Now let’s use our prompt bookmarks to grow our thinking about this simple idea…and possibly understand or make a theory about the character of Principal ________________.





Teaching Point Readers pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories to grow deeper theories

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper



Wonder by R.J. Palacio


Pre-chart and cover repeated details and themes throughout Wonder: disfigured face, people starring, a mask, friends, teasing, protecting

Tips Have readers bring their prompt bookmarks to the minilesson today

Read aloud pages 206-234 in Wonder before session 12.

Connection Readers, we have been working on creating theories that really matter in the stories we read. In the books

we have read together, we notice that some of the same things happen, or recur, over and over throughout the story.

These details are important to notice. When our parents or teachers want us to really pay attention to something, they repeat it and repeat it, don’t they?

Authors repeat details in their stories and themes in their stories for a reason…the author wants you to notice details or themes that are repeated throughout their story because they are trying to tell you something about life through their writing-the details and themes.

Today I want to teach you that it is important to pay attention to the recurring details and themes to grow deeper theories.

Teach Let’s think about some details or themes that recur or repeat throughout Wonder.

Pre-chart and cover repeated details throughout Wonder: disfigured face, people starring, a mask, friends, teasing, protecting

I’m going to show you what I thought about when I was thinking about what was repeated throughout the story (Uncover each idea as you list it for the class)

But I said I wanted to teach you to notice these details that repeat and then learn something because of them…so I think our prompt bookmarks will help us here.

Watch as I take a detail that is listed and use a prompt from my bookmark to nudge my thinking toward learning from this story.

August’s disfigured face….this is really important because it keeps other people from getting close to August. He has a hard time making friends because his face gets in the way, It also is important because I think it allows August to hide from people, and bothers him throughout the story just like his mind is bothered –he can’t get rid of his face…and he can’t get rid of his nervous thoughts and feelings…it’s almost like the his face says something about the way he feels inside even though he’s a normal boy on the inside…he feels disfigured on the inside too, because of the way others see him and treat him…it’s like he feels on the inside how he looks on the outside. His face makes August imperfect, flawed, sickly, and he feels that way in his mind, too.

Readers, do you hear how I am growing a deeper theory about August from thinking about his disfigured face-the detail that is repeated? I used my bookmark with the prompts to help me take this detail-the disfigured face and grow it to a theory that says much more about August than just the fact that he has a



disfigured face.

Active Engagement

Now, I’d like you to pick one of the other details I have listed here, and you and your partner do just as I did. Use one of the prompts or more than one prompt to nudge your thinking from this simple detail to a deeper theory.

Listen in and coach as needed.

Share what you overheard from partners as an example for deeper theory growing.

Link Readers, you need to pay attention to what is repeated again and again throughout your story. Many times, these details really don’t mean what you think they mean. The author is actually trying to tell you something more about the character and their experiences from those repeated details.

When you find repeated details, you can flag those pages with a simple jot like “disfigured face” or “face again” or “facex3”…but when you realize that the detail keeps repeating stop and take some time to write in your notebook a little longer. Use your prompt bookmark to help you start that thinking.

Mid-workshop Teaching

Share exemplar work from individuals for partnerships.

Partnerships Share if they were able to find repeated details in their text and how they grew their theories from these simple details.


Spend time demonstrating using a repeated theme in Wonder, seeing that you demonstrated using a repeated detail in the minilesson demonstration.

The list that began in the lesson will still be up and available. Choose friendship, or teasing, or protecting




Concept Readers compare characters within and across texts.

Teaching Point Readers compare how characters and their situations are alike.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper




Anchor Chart: Bringing Characters to Life (Resource Packet)

Bring in a picture for 2 real life characters from pop culture, history, or life that students would have insight on (Examples: 2 famous singers, 2 famous leaders studied in social studies, 2 teachers known by all students)

Character Trait List: Copied for each reader http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf

Tips Read aloud pages 236-248 in Wonder before session 13.

Ask readers to bring their independent reading book to the minilesson today.

Connection Readers, so far, we have been studying a character and finding precise words to describe this character.

We have been studying what this character wants, the challenges this character faces, and how this character struggles to overcome his challenges.

Today I want to teach you that readers can place several characters – even ones that appear in different books – alongside each other to compare them. Just as we compare people in real life, we can think, “How are these characters like each other? How are their situations the same?”

Teach Demonstrate how you compare the characters and their situations by using the real life people pictures first. (Example: These singers are both girls, they are about the same age, they sing songs that are played on the radio and that can be downloaded onto our phones and tablets, they both live busy lives traveling, performing concerts etc…)

Demonstrate how you compare two of the characters in the story Wonder. Jack and Justin are both the kinds of people who have genuine compassion for others – no strings attached.

Jack really enjoys being August’s friend. He looks out for August and treats him with kindness and respect. Jack sees what August is like on the inside and enjoys sharing everyday experiences with him. He bravely handles the bullying he receives by being friends with August.

Justin steps in to defend Jack once he realizes that Jack is getting bullied. He is also very understanding and compassionate toward Olivia and her family. True friends look out for each other and support each other because it is the right thing to do.

Both Jack and Justin understand the circumstances surrounding August’s situation. They are insightful, tender, and courageous. They have empathy for August, who was dealt a difficult hand, and for Olivia, who must sacrifice much by being his sister. August and Olivia are both fortunate to have such true friends in their lives.

Active Engagement

Have students look back into their own independent reading books and choose two characters and their situations that are alike in some way. Have students push themselves to create a theory about these characters.

Link Readers, today we chose characters and their situations that are alike in some way. When we do this, it helps us to take a closer look at what the characters are really like on the inside.

Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas about the characters in your books on sticky notes using precise, exact words. Remember to pay close attention to the ways in which characters




and their situations are alike. Your character trait list might help you think about precise words to use when making these comparisons.


Readers, I am going to add our teaching point to our anchor chart





Readers, today in our lesson we were comparing two characters in the same book. But we can also compare characters from two different books.

When I think about August and all the struggles he faces, he makes he think about other characters. He makes me think about Sarah Ida, in Shoeshine Girl. She faced struggles, too. Her struggles weren’t anything to do with the way she looked, but she had been sent to spend the summer with her aunt because she was struggling to get along with her parents and her mom was sick.

August also makes me think about the character DJ in “Just kidding”. He is teased and picked last on teams…he has trouble sticking up for himself, just like August. And Julian, in Wonder, has me thinking about Vince in that same story.

Readers, do you see how I can start thinking about characters and how they are connected to other things I have read?

Think for a moment…are there any characters outside of the story you are reading that you could compare to one of the characters in your book? You might be able to use one of our read alouds or a previous book you have read to think about making a comparison.





Teaching Point Readers compare how characters face their challenges and overcome them.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper




Anchor Chart: Interpreting Characters and Building Theories(Resource Packet)

Tips Read pages 250-281 in the story Wonder before session 14.

Ask readers to bring their independent reading book to the minilesson today

Ask readers to bring a post-it note and a pen/pencil to After the Workshop Share Time

Session 15 will require the use of a student to play the role of the teacher’s reading partner for the demonstration. Otherwise a follow colleague could also stand in as the teacher’s reading partner. Prepare the partner with their role so they will understand the expectation before the lesson is implemented.

Connection Readers, we have been comparing the characters and their situations in the books we are reading. Today I

want to teach you that another way in which readers compare characters is to look at whether the challenges in their lives are similar and how they work to overcome the obstacles in their lives.

We can think, “What are the situations that these characters are facing? How are these characters attempting to solve their problems? What about the way in which they overcome their challenges is the same? Is there something common in the way they are solving their lives’ issues?”

So today I am going to show you how readers compare how characters face their challenges and overcome them.

Teach Demonstrate how you compare two of the characters in the story Wonder. Jack and Miranda both find themselves in situations where they betrayed a friend.

Jack betrays his friendship with August by badmouthing him at school on Halloween. He gets caught up in trying to be “cool” with Julian and doesn’t realize that he is betraying his friend. However, it is clear that Jack really thinks the world of August. Once Jack realizes that August has overheard him, he accepts responsibility for his behavior and apologizes to August.

Miranda betrays her friendship with Olivia by continually avoiding her at school. She hangs out with a new group of kids at school and badmouths Olivia to her friend, Ella. However, it is clear that she still loves Olivia and her family. Miranda pretended she was sick so that Olivia could take her place in the school play as a way of trying to do the right thing. After the performance, she spotted August and saved him from the confusion of the crowd. Olivia and her family welcomed Miranda with open arms.

Both Jack and Miranda learned powerful lessons about friendship and forgiveness.

Active Engagement

Have students look back into their own independent reading books and compare two characters that faced similar challenges and the ways in which they overcome them.

Or think about two characters from two different books to compare with the same focus. Have students nudge themselves to create a theory about these characters.

Have readers turn and talk to their partner about their thinking

Teachers listen in and coach

Share some of the thinking overheard from partnerships

Link Readers, today we compared the ways in which characters overcame challenges in their lives. Sometimes



the kinds of challenges that characters in books face are the same kinds of challenges that we face in our lives. When we see how characters handle the challenges in their lives, it helps us to make wise decisions about how we want to live our own lives.

Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas about the characters in your books on sticky notes or in your notebooks using precise, exact words.

Remember to pay close attention to the ways in which characters handle the challenges in their lives and nudge yourself to make a comparison.


Conduct table conferences to encourage students to compare the ways in which characters handle the challenges in their lives and nudge their thinking to create a theory about these characters in the books they are reading.

Have students create a notebook entry, or add information to one of their entries, using their sticky notes - nudging their thinking to make comparisons and to build strong theories about their characters.

Have students include the title of their book next to this entry.

Partnerships Have partnerships share their notes and theories and respond to each other about the ideas they are building about their characters.


Readers, I asked you to bring a post-it note and a pencil to share time today because I wanted to get a little thinking from you before we go on in our unit.

I’d like you to jot the names of two characters you’ve been thinking about as you practice making comparisons and note why you see them as similar.

You might say ______ in the story______is like _____ in the story____because______

Make sure your name is on your post-it before you place it on our jot lot.

Teachers can assess jots and use them to form strategy groups or conferences.





Teaching Point Readers uncover characters in parallel roles and compare them to learn more

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper




Just Kidding by Trudy Ludwig


Tips Today’s teaching point could utilize any two stories where characters play parallel (similar) roles, as long as

readers have heard the stories and are aware of the characters that are referenced.

Plan to finish the read aloud Wonder if you haven’t already

Today for after the workshop share time think about what needs fine-tuning, reteaching or extending based on the work you observe readers doing.

Connection Readers, we have been comparing the characters and the challenges they face in the books we are reading.

We have been finding new ways to think about our characters by comparing them to other characters.

Today I want to teach you that we can also look across books to find characters that play parallel roles in these books. For example, when we compare two main characters, two moms, two best friends, two grandfathers, or two villains, we sometimes uncover parallel threads that we may not have noticed before.

I will show you how readers uncover parallel roles and compare them to learn more about their characters.

Teach Demonstrate how you compare a character in the story Wonder with a character in the story Just Kidding. In both stories the two dads and the main characters exist in parallel roles.

Mr. Pullman, August’s dad, is a central character in the story Wonder as he along with August’s mom, are the ones who provide the ingredients for a loving, supportive family. They do everything they can to lessen the challenges that August faces in his life. They want him to become independent and self-sufficient by attending school and learning how to manage himself in the world. Yet, they are always there for their children when they need them.

D.J’s dad is a central character in the story Just Kidding as he provides the ingredients for a loving, supportive family. He is the one who gives DJ advice to be self-sufficient when dealing with teasing. He is there for DJ when he needs him, but does not take away from DJ being independent.

Both dads protect and support their children with kindness, attention, and understanding.

Active Engagement

Now, readers I want you to think about the two main characters in these stories, August and DJ. Would you say they are in parallel roles? In other words, are they in similar situations and act in similar ways even though the stories are different? Talk with your partner about why they are or are not in parallel roles.

Turn and talk to your partner

Listen in and coach as needed

Link Readers, we have been comparing the parallel roles that characters play in the stories we read. We realize that characters in parallel roles sometimes behave in similar ways.

Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas about the characters in your books on sticky notes using precise, exact words. Remember to pay close attention to the roles that characters play in the stories you read

Mid-Workshop Conduct table conferences to encourage students to consider the parallel roles of characters from



Teaching Point different stories and push their thinking to create a theory about these characters.

After students have been reading for a total of 30 minutes, have them record their reading on their daily reading logs.

Partnerships Have partnerships share their notebook entries or jots and theories and respond to each other about the ideas they are building about their characters.


Readers, this is complex thinking that we are doing! You are taking all that you have learned and read from one story and comparing it with what you have learned and read from another story.

Looking for connections across different text helps understand even more about our reading. We are able to grow ideas about characters and their situations by using ideas we have grown from other books we’ve read.

But have you considered comparing any of your characters to yourself? Are you like your main character or any of the supporting characters? Think about that for a moment...then turn and talk to your partner. Tell them if you are like any of the characters you or we have read albout during this unit and why.

This work of comparing allows you to say even more about what you know and think beyond the text to understand what is important to take away from the story.

Tomorrow we will nudge our thinking even further to see if we can make more complex comparisons between the characters we’ve come to know.





Teaching Point Readers push themselves and others to make deeper comparisons between characters.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper


● Assessment Checklist utilized throughout unit (Resource Packet)


Just Kidding by Trudy Ludwig


Student or colleague to play the role of the teacher’s reading partner

On Chart for all readers to see:

What do my/your characters really want?

What is your characters’ biggest struggle?

Why do you think that?

Can you say more?

Is there something in the text that makes you think that?

Tips Taking the time to film partnerships in action and then time to debrief what is working in the partnership

with readers is a strong instructional strategy for any part of the reading workshop structure. It is another demonstration of the expectations. Look to the speaking and listening standards in the Common Core Standards to highlight and extend grade level standards for speaking and listening during partnership meetings.

You will want to make the chart listed in the Materials section of this lesson ahead of time as partners will use these questions today.

Today, a partnership video clip could be utilized instead of a replay of what was observed during the after the workshop share time.

Connection Readers, we have been comparing the characters, their challenges, and the roles they play in the stories we

are reading.

Remember that in order to push each other to think beyond what is actually happening in our stories, we can ask questions to spark deeper, richer thinking.

Today I want to teach you that one of the best ways to build theories about the characters we are reading about is for partners to help each other notice new patterns or suggest details that we may have overlooked, allowing for a far richer compare-and-contrast.

Today I am going to show you how readers push themselves and others to make deeper comparisons between characters.

Teach I have asked Ellie to play the role of my reading partner today.

We are going to show you how as we are meeting in partnerships we can ask each other questions that will help us nudge our thinking even deeper when comparing characters. I can use this list of questions on my own, as I am reading and thinking and jotting. Or, we, as a partnership, can use the same list when we are together.

What is important here is that I come to my partnership with two characters in mind that I am working on comparing…so I might start the conversation with “I’m trying to compare August from Wonder and DJ from Just Kidding.

Demonstrate how you and you partner help each other compare characters. Have your partner ask you each question and then think aloud making the response look and sound like fifth graders in a partnership. Partners will refer to the following questions as you begin to build a theory about August and DJ:



What do my/your characters really want? (August wants to go to school and be accepted. DJ wants to be accepted by his friends.)

What is your characters’ biggest struggle? (August faces harassment. DJ faces harassment.)

Why do you think that? Can you say more?

Is there something in the text that makes you think that?

I think our/these two characters might be similar because … (August and DJ do not give up…they are both determined.)

Nudge your thinking to grow a theory about the two characters. The teacher might say, I now have a theory about August and DJ…..”.

Begin with the theory that DJ and August are both very determined. Push your thinking by saying more about your idea.

August is determined when he wakes up every day and heads to school, knowing that the days aren’t always easy for him. There are students who ignore him or bully him, but he is determined to face his challenges every day.

DJ is determined when he keeps going back to try to be included with the same group of friends. He wants to overcome the bulling so he confides in his dad. He is determined when he is riding on the bus and Vince makes fun of Brian…DJ is determined to make the teasing funny and not hurtful

Both August and DJ show determination in the way that they live their lives.

Active Engagement

Have students choose two known characters from different books and say “I am trying to compare ____ and _____.

Have partnerships use the questions listed in the demonstration section to push their thinking to compare these characters.

Link Readers, today you watched Ellie and I pretend to be reading partners so that you could do as we have done here in your own partnership.

You should use these questions on your own, as you are reading and taking notes so that you are prepared to talk to your partner.

Come to your partnership today with two characters in mind that you can share with your partner. Then you and your partners can use the list of questions to grow your thinking about these characters.


Share an example of a readers work with comparing characters to showcase the thinking and processing of a fifth grade reader finding success with the teaching point.

Partnerships Have partnerships share their thinking and theories and respond to each other about the ideas they are building about their characters using the questions listed in the demonstration portion of this session.

Look for a partnership to highlight during the After the Workshop Share


Readers, as I was conferring with partnerships, I had the pleasure of watching Shelley and Jennifer work with our questions and help each other deepen their connections between two characters.

Let me tell you what I saw and heard from that partnership ….




Concept Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.

Teaching Point Readers use recurring themes to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper




Anchor Chart: interpreting Characters and Building Theories (Resource Packet)

Tips Have readers bring their prompt bookmarks to the after workshop share time.

If assessment shows that readers could use more time and demonstration with partnership talk and speaking and listening, help them reflect on those expectations, also and add teaching in the form of minilessons or strategy groups to support the learning.

Connection Readers, we sometimes have special experiences, like going to camp, where the counselors help us find the

right way to end our camp experience. We light candles, have a ceremony, or perform some other act that helps us think about the spirit of the experience and provide us with some lasting thoughts. It works the same way with books.

When we finish a book, we are going to look at the recurring themes, called motifs in book, and think in such a way that the story will really mean something to us, or have a lasting effect.

Today I want to teach you that one way that we can do this is by using the recurring themes to lead us to lasting thoughts about a story.

Teach Explain that endings are a time when all we have been thinking and wondering about comes together. We are going to feel as much as we can, pulling the whole book and its meaning into this ending in any way we can.

I am going to read a bit and then stop to show you how I figure out what’s most important, not just in this chapter, but in the whole book.

Read aloud pages 299-300. Think aloud using recurring themes to lead you to lasting thoughts about the story.

Example: Mr. Tushman talks about how the students are at the edge between childhood and everything that comes after. They are in transition (page 299). One recurring theme of this story is transitions. Many of the characters are making big transitions this year and adjusting to change. August transitioning to new school, students transitioning to spending time with someone like Auggie. They are becoming the people who they will be as adults.

Mr. Tushman suggests a new rule of life … always to try to be a little kinder than is necessary (pages 299-300). Another recurring theme of this story is kindness. The wonder, or wow, of August’s presence in the school is that people around him learn what it is to be kind.

Readers, do you see and hear how I am reading and thinking about what really has mattered having read this story. What lasting thoughts will I take with me? What does this author want me to have learned or take with me after I close the back cover?

Active Engagement

Read aloud pages 303 third paragraph -304

Ask students to carry with them all the important thinking and see if they can build strong theories by using recurring themes.

Have students think about one of the recurring themes and how it is represented in the story and turn to talk with their partner about their thinking.



Link Readers, today I think that you felt how much the ending of a book can mean if we take time to care about the recurring themes in the book.

I think we will carry the images we have found at this story’s end with us for a long time. You can do this same work with any book that is important to you.

Remember to use what we did together today to help you read your independent reading books differently from now on.


Explain that as students finish reading their independent reading books, they should spend some time thinking and writing about the recurring themes in their books that will lead them to lasting thoughts about their stories.

Partnerships Remind readers to use recurring themes to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story. Remind readers to use the posted questions to help each other as they talk in partnerships.


Readers, today I think that you felt how much the ending of a book can mean if we take time to care about the motifs in the book. I think we will carry the images we have found at this story’s end with us for a long time. You can do this same work with any book that is important to you. Remember to use what we did together today to help you read your independent reading books differently from now on.

Explain that as students finish reading their independent reading books, they should spend some time thinking and writing about the recurring themes in their books that will lead them to lasting thoughts about their stories.




Concept Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.

Teaching Point Readers analyze their own reading and thinking to determine strengths and goals.

Materials



● Post-its

● notebooks

● Pencils/pens

● Chart paper





Teacher’s personal read or read aloud book with jots/ flags, Post-its, notebook writing for demonstration. Think about having artifacts that only focus on one teaching point from the Interpreting Characters and Building Theories, like “paying attention to character’s struggles”

Jot Lot

Tips This session is the unit end and celebration. The celebration can be reflecting on learning and the

opportunity for new goals or it may also include refreshments and community talk about this work.

Connection Readers, we are here at the end of our second unit of study. You have learned a lot of strategies for

thinking about characters in stories…that is certainly something to celebrate! But I also think you have the opportunity to learn a lot about yourself as a reader, too.

Today I want to show you how readers analyze their own reading and thinking to determine strengths and goals.

Teach Readers, in unit 1 we spent some time looking at our reading logs and considering if we could read more and how we could nudge ourselves to read more given the time we had in our lives.

We can also look at other aspects of our reading lives, besides amount of reading and think about ways we are strong already and ways we could improve.

I want you to watch me as I show you how I, as a reader analyze my own reading and thinking to find strength and determine a goal. Watch carefully, because you will need to remember the steps I take.

As I look at my own read aloud book here, I notice that I have all kinds of flags and post-its inside my book. Let me take some of these out and let’s look at them together. Ok…here, I was paying attention to my characters action it made he think that they were_______ . And here, Oh, again, I was paying attention to my character’s action and it told me that they ________. Let’s look at this third post-it…ok…here I seem to have also paid attention to my character’s action…wait a minute…as I look over my thinking inside my book I am realizing that a strength I have is noticing characters actions and then thinking about what their action tells me about them.

But as I look at the list we have made from all of our minilessons, I realize that I am not doing any of the other thinking inside this book. I haven’t paid attention to any special objects; I haven’t looked for patterns inside my book to help me grow theories…huh? I have some new goals for myself with my thinking.

Readers, do you see how I had to think about what I was doing well and then shift and think about what I wasn’t doing. This is how we can make goals for ourselves.

I’m going to write down this strength of mine and also a goal here on this post-it .It needs my name so that I can post-it on our jot lot.

Active Engagement

Today, you are going to have time to do this thinking with your own reading. So I want you to think about the steps I took to do this work. First I…go ahead and tell your partner what steps I took first, second, third, to find my strengths and goals.

Allow time for readers to list and talk.



Link Readers, when you go back for independent reading, take the time to do what I did here. I want you to think about what you have as a reading strength…but I also want you to think about a new goal for your thinking.

Write STRENGTH and GOAL on a post-it and post-it on our jot lot with your name.

I will be using these to think about the roads we will take within our next unit of study.

Once you have done this work, then you may continue with independent reading.

Mid-workshop Teaching

List some of the strengths listed on post-its and some of the goals. No need to list readers’ names attached to their post-it.

Assist readers who struggle to analyze their work during conferences

Partnerships Readers are reminded of the long list of strategies to bring to their conversation as they analyze their characters to grow theories.

Readers might also talk about their strength and goals with their partner.


Readers, we have strengths as a class too…some that I can list:___________________________________

But we also have goals as a community of readers. I‘ve listed __________as a possible goal for all of us to work towards as we start work with our next unit of study.

I will make sure to collect your strength and goal jots so that I can think about ways to help you share your strength with others but also reach your goals.

fifth grade interpreting characters unit...

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