Common Core State StandardsSession 5

3-5 English Language Arts

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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.

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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

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Close Reading LessonTEXT #1: A Powerful FriendTIME: 2 daysTASKS: 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.

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Close Reading Lesson

Lesson Directions: 1. Students read the entire passage silently.2. Teacher reads passage aloud for students to follow along

silently.

GOAL: Days 1 and 2Allow students to interact with challenging text on their own as frequently and independently as possible.

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.

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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?

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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?

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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?

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Interactive Discussion

How would you describe the relationship betweenBuff and the elephant?

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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?

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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?

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Explanatory WritingA 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.

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Close Reading LessonTEXT #2: The Cat and the RatTIME: 2 daysTASKS: 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.

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Close Reading Lesson

Lesson Directions: 1. Students read the entire passage silently.2. Teacher reads passage aloud for students to follow along

silently.

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.

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.

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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.

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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

Plant Community

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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?

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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.

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Explanatory Writing

Explain why this moral is appropriate for the poem, The Cat and the Rat.

Use information from text to support your answer.

The moral at the end of the poem states: Alliance from necessity is safe

just while it has to be.

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Comparative Writing on 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 andsupport your answer.

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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.

Protagonist (hero)

•Actions/Events:

Antagonist(villain)

•Actions/Events:

Minor Characters

•Actions/Events:

PROBLEM

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Developing Text-Based QuestionsLook 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 textstudents would need to reread in order to: • generate a response.• find text evidence.