Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards Session 5 3-5 English Language Arts

Day 3 – AM Session10:15-11:45 Participants will increase their knowledge of: • the purpose and importance of close reading. • creating text-based questions for effective comprehension instruction. • vocabulary and syntax as important elements of text complexity. • the benefits of pairing texts to: • engage students in cognitively complex tasks. • expand student knowledge of diverse texts.

Close Reading Lesson Paired Text Lesson: • Texts: • Lesson Length: approximately 4 days • Short story -A Powerful Friend by Edith Nesbit. • Poem - The Cat and the Rat by Jean de La Fontaine

Close Reading Lesson TEXT #1: A Powerful Friend TIME: 2 days TASKS: Students engage in several literacy tasks • Reading: Silent reading and rereading for a variety of specific purposes. • Vocabulary: High-value words in text are supported. • Discussion: Text-based questioning drives the discussion and purpose for reading and rereading. • Writing: Text-based questions propel writing in response to reading and rereading.

Close Reading Lesson GOAL: Days 1 and 2 Allow students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently and independently as possible. Lesson Directions: • Students read the entire passage silently. • Teacher reads passage aloud for students to follow along silently. POSSIBLE MODIFICATION: The order of the student silent read and teacher read-aloud might be reversed. The determining factor is the amount of support that students may need to read a given complex text.

Interactive Discussion & Writing The story begins with the statement: “My mother was the best of cats.” What happens in the story that shows this IS or IS NOT true?

Interactive Discussion The text states that Buff gave her mother “a great deal of trouble.” How much trouble did Buff give her mother in comparison to her siblings: • more? • less? • same?

Interactive Discussion & Writing What words or phrases in the text show that Mother cat was anxious about her kittens’ learning of their survival skills? According to the text, how prepared for life was Buff? At what point in the story was Buff at greatest risk?

Interactive Discussion How would you describe the relationship between Buff and the elephant?

Interactive Discussion From the elephant keeper’s perspective, what were the advantages or disadvantages of keeping Buff? What advantages or disadvantages did Buff experience from her reputation? Was this reputation based on truth?

Interactive Discussion Which character was the “powerful friend:” • the cat? • the elephant? • both? What information in text leads you to think that? What important lessons had Buff learned by the end of the story?

Explanatory Writing A Powerful Friend ends with words of warning: You should do as you are told, and learn everything you can while you are young. It is true that I get on very well without having done so, but then you may not have my good luck. • What is the “good luck” to which the main character is referring? Explain using information from text to support your answer. • Would the main character recommend others to rely on “good luck” for their future? Explain the main character’s perspective using text information as supportive evidence.

Close Reading Lesson TEXT #2: The Cat and the Rat TIME: 2 days TASKS: Students engage in several literacy tasks • Reading: Silent reading and rereading for a variety of specific purposes. • Vocabulary: High-value words in text are supported. • Discussion: Text-based questioning drives the discussion and purpose for reading and rereading. • Writing: Text-based questions propel writing in response to reading and rereading.

Close Reading Lesson • GOALS: • DAY 3 - Allow students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently • and Independently as possible. • DAY 4 - To compare and contrast various literary elements and concepts across texts. Lesson Directions: • Students read the entire passage silently. • Teacher reads passage aloud for students to follow along silently. POSSIBLE MODIFICATION: The order of the student silent read and the teacher reading aloud might be reversed. This decision is based upon how much support students may need with a given text.

Interactive Discussion How would you describe the relationship between the main characters in the poem? What event in the poem caused the rat to become “full of joy” and the cat “of despair?” Explain why this impacted their emotions.

Interactive Discussion & Writing What words in the poem describe: - an ecosystem? - a community? - the food chain? In your response, use science terms you've learned. Ecosystem Habitat PlantCommunity

Interactive Discussion & Writing What words or phrases in the text exhibit flattery? How effective of a strategy was the use of flattery? What main character had the most wisdom: • the cat? • the rat? • What text evidence shows that this is true?

Interactive Discussion The moral at the end of the poem states: Alliance from necessity is safe just while it has to be. • At what point in the poem was the alliance a necessity? • For which character in the story is this statement most • true? • Use information from text to support your position.

Explanatory Writing The moral at the end of the poem states: Alliance from necessity is safe just while it has to be. • Explain why this moral is appropriate for the poem, The Cat and the Rat. • Use information from text to support your answer.

Comparative Writingon Paired Texts • Describe the similarities and differences between the alliances in both texts: • the poem, The Cat and the Rat. • the story, A Powerful Friend. • Use information from both texts to explain and • support your answer.

Creative Writing • DIRECTIONS: • Draft a short story or poem with a moral. • Include each of the following: • An antagonist (villain) • A protagonist (hero) • A problem • Events demonstrating • the point of the lesson/moral • Use the graphic organizer to organize the ideas of your draft. PROBLEM

Developing Text-Based Questions • Look over the paired texts: • the poem, The Cat and the Rat. • the story, A Powerful Friend. • Work with a partner: • Talk with your partner about the various questioning patterns in the close reading lesson. • In your handout, draft and record text-based questions using these questioning formats. • Build a small collection of questions, focusing on each of the following: • Vocabulary • Discussion • Writing • For each question, identify which sections of text • students would need to reread in order to: • generate a response. • find text evidence.

Common Core State Standards