balanced literacy unit

Ramona Forever

By: Beverly Clearly

(DOK 1) What is the big event happening at the Quimby House?

(DOK 2) Compare all the text connections to “Ramona Forever.”

(DOK 3) At first Ramona is excited to go to the hospital.

A. What makes Ramona upset? What makes her happy?

B. Give a text-to-self connection to support your reasoning.

NV Power Standards:

[3.3.9] Make Connections to self, other text, and/or the world; use information to answer specific questions. [3.9]

[6.3.7] Write friendly letters following on established format. [6.7]

Persephoni Moore

Balanced Literacy Lesson Plan

Day: 1

Goal: Students will be able to make text-to-self connections to “Ramona Forever.”

Standard: [3.3.9] Make connections to self, and other text, and/or the world; use information to answer specific questions. [3.9]

Stage One - Pre-Reading – Direct Lesson:

Introduction: Students will make text-to- self connections to Ramona Forever. “The teacher will say “Today boys and girls, we will be making text-to-self connections. Put on your thinking caps!” The teacher will point to the Question of the Day: “What are text-to-self connections?” The teacher will then allow students a few minutes to write down their answer on a Post-It note and stick it on the board.

Demonstration/model: Students will bring their pencils to the meeting area. The teacher will introduce “Ramona Forever” to the class. The teacher will explain to the class that Ramona and the rest of the Quimby Family are expecting a new baby in the family. The teacher will model a text-to-self by telling students about how she, as the oldest sister in her family, felt about both of her younger sisters’ birth. The teacher will explain how she made her connection from Ramona’s feelings about her baby sister being born in the text to her feelings about her sisters’ births.

Guided Lesson: The teacher will read pages 359-367 to students, stopping after several paragraphs and making connections. While reading, the teacher will model for students, on large sheet of chart paper, and write down connections they have to the text being read.

Guided Practice: After reading part of “Ramona Forever,” the students with the help of the teacher, will discuss the types of text-to-self connections they came up with and eliminate, if any, those that are not.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will give the students another Post-It note and ask them to

write down what they now know about text-to-self connections and place them on the board. The teacher will have the class go back to their seats to read the rest of “Ramona Forever” along with the audio book. The teacher will close by saying, “Good readers make connections to the text while they are reading!”

Stage Two - During Reading - Independent Work (Small Group, Seat, Center):

For independent work, students will finish reading “Ramona Forever.” While reading, students will record any text-to-self connections in their journals and what in the text supports their connection.

While students are doing independent work, the teacher will pull guided reading groups and help students who may be having trouble and discuss vocabulary words in “Ramona Forever.”

After students finish reading the text, students will choose one text-to-self connection they recorded in their journals and summarize what in the text supports their connection. At their tables, students will take turn discussing their connections to the text and why they have that connection.

Stage Three - After Reading – Reflection:

After reading, the students will bring their journals to the meeting area. Volunteers may share their text-to-self connections and what in the text supports them. The teacher will close by saying, “Today class, we learned how to connect ourselves to the text which is called a text-to-self connection. Throughout the week we will learn how to connect other books and things around the world to “Ramona Forever.”

Materials/Resources Needed:

Post-Its (enough for 26), pencils (26), reading journals (26), chart paper, markers, third grade Trophies books (26)

Day: 2

Goal: Students will make text-to-text connections to “Ramona Forever” and other texts in the classroom.



Introduction: Students will be making text-to-text connections to “Ramona Forever” and to other text in the classroom. The teacher will say, “Today class, we will be learning how to use text-to-text connections. Let’s turn our thinking caps on!” The teacher will point at the Question of the Day: “What are text-to-text connections?” The teacher will give students a few minutes to write down their answers on Post-It notes and stick them to the board.

Demonstration/model: The teacher will ask students to bring their pencils to the meeting area. The teacher will review with the class what a text-to-self connection is and ask for examples from the students. After a brief review, the teacher will introduce the book, “Here She Comes Bringing Me Home That Little Baby Girl” by Eloise Greenfield. The teacher will first model how to connect to the text by explaining that each book has to do with a new baby in the family.

Guided Lesson: The teacher will only read the first couple of pages in the story. The teacher will then ask students to compare the text being read to “Ramona Forever.” The students will do a Think-Pair-Share to discuss how the two texts are similar to each other. The teacher will then have the B’s stand up and share what they and their partners came up with and record them on chart paper. The teacher will then finish reading the story to students, stopping every couple of pages to discuss the students’ text-to-text connections.

Guided Practice: After the teacher reads a few more pages, she will ask the students to name any text-to-text connections they see. The teacher will guide them with questions such as, “Are the characters feelings the same in both stories?” After recording more connections on chart paper, the teacher, along with the help of the students will eliminate any connections they do not believe are text-to-text connections and explain why ones are and others are not text-to-text connections.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will give students a second Post-It note to record their thoughts on text-to-text connections and stick them to the board. The teacher will close by saying, “Today boys and girls, we learned how to make connections between new books and previous books. We made text to text connections to “Ramona Forever” and “Here She Comes Bringing Me Home That Little Baby Girl.” We will now go back to our seats and read another book with your shoulder partners.


The students will return to their seats and read “Arthur’s Baby” by Marc Brown with their shoulder partner. On their desks, they will have a piece of paper folded into three sections. Each section will have the three titles of the stories we have read in class. While reading students will record all the text-to-text connections under the appropriate title of the story. Trophies books with “Ramona Forever” and “Here She Comes Bringing Me Home That Little Baby Girl.”

The teacher will pull guided reading groups and help any students who may be having any difficulty with the assignment.

After completing the assignment, the students will record in their journals one text-to-text connection they had between any two texts they have read. They will also explain which to texts they chose and how they support their connections to the text.


The class will meet back in the meeting area sitting with their shoulder partner and their completed assignment chart. The partners will share what they came up with and give an explanation to the connections that they made. After a sharing, the teacher will say, “Today boys and girls, we learned how to make text-to-text connections. Tomorrow, be prepared to make text-to-world connections!”


Post-Its (enough for 26), pencils (26), reading journals (26), chart paper, markers, third grade Trophies books (26), “Arthur’s Baby” (about 13 copies), “Here She Comes Bringing Me Home That Little Baby Girl” (about 13 copies), paper folded into three sections for each partner group (about 13 copies)

Day: 3

Goal: Students will make text-to-world connections to “Ramona Forever.”



Introduction: Students will be making text-to-world connections to “Ramona Forever”. The teacher will say, “Today class we will be learning about text-to-world connections. Thinking caps on!” The teacher will point to the Question of the Day: “What, in your opinion, can be connected to “Ramona Forever” and the world around us?” The students will record their answers on Post-It notes and stick them on the board.

Demonstration/model: The teacher will ask the students to come to the meeting area with and sit in a circle. The teacher will review with students what text-to-self and text-to-text connections are and ask the students to give examples of them. After review, the teacher will ask the students, what they believe text-to-world connections are and record their answers on chart paper. The teacher will then demonstrate text to world connections by reading the first few pages of “Ramona Forever.” The teacher will say, “I see where I can make a text-to-world connection to Beezus and Ramona being at home alone. Can you think of one? Share with the person next to you.” The teacher will then say, “I can make a text-to-world connection to Beezus and Ramona being home alone to other older brothers and older sisters around the world left home alone to take care of their younger siblings while parents are away.”

Guided Lesson: The teacher will continue to read “Ramona Forever.” After a few pages the teacher will stop and ask the students, “What text-to-world connections can you think of pertaining to what I have just read? Share them with your partners.” The teacher will then record what they have on chart paper.

Guided Practice: After reading a few more pages, the teacher will guide the students with questions to help them make text-to-world connections. After recording more text-to-world connections on the chart, the students, along with the teacher, will eliminate, if any, connections that are not text-to-world connections.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will give students a second Post-It note and ask them to record what a text-to-world connection is. The teacher will then say, “Today class we learned about text-to-world connections. Now let’s go back to our seats and get ready for Journal Time!”


Students will get into groups of two and read the remaining pages of “Ramona Forever.” Both students will record text-to-world connections in their journals. After they are finished reading

and recording, they will individually write about their text-to-world connection and summarize the text that supports their connection.

The teacher will pull guided reading groups and assist students with additional help if needed.

After students are finished they will share with their shoulder partner their connection.


The students will stay in their seats for the first half of the reflection. Each group will do a Round Robin activity where one at a time, students stand up and briefly share what they have written in their journal pertaining to text-to-self connections. Before each student sits down, each group member will give a compliment and positive feedback to the student. This will go on until each student has a turn. For the second half, the teacher will call on volunteers to share their text-to-world connection and where in the text supports their connection. The teacher will close by saying, “Wonderful Job today boys and girls working with text-to-world connections. Tomorrow we will be using them in our writing!”


Post-Its, Pencils (26), Reading Journals (26), Trophies text (26), chart paper, markers

Day: 4

Goal: Students will create a friendly letter using text connections.

Standards: [3.3.9] Make Connections to self, other text, and/or the world; use information to answer specific questions. [3.9]



Introduction: The teacher will open up the day by saying, “All week we have been working on text connections! Please answer your Questions of the Day: “What are the three text connections? Which one did you like the best?” They will record their answers on a Post-It note and stick in on the corner of their desks. They will use this for discussion at their tables later.

Demonstration/model: The teacher will call the students to the meeting area. The teacher will review all three text connections to the class. On a piece of chart paper, the teacher has prewritten phrases pertaining to the three text connections the class has been studying. The teacher will have the students Think-Pair-Share before students tell the teacher which text connection belongs to each phrase. The teacher will review again what each text connection means. The teacher will also review how to write a friendly letter to the students.

Guided Lesson: The teacher will ask students to come up with one connection for each text connection. This can be from any book, what they have written in their journals and any discussions from the week. The teacher will record their thoughts on chart paper but will not list the text connection.

Guided Practice: Referring to the chart paper, students will add more connections that they find. With the help from the teacher, the students will label the students thoughts with the appropriate text connection.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will close by saying, “Today was a review day for text connections and writing letters. Time to share with your group what you had on your Post-It note! Afterwards, get ready for letter writing!”


Students will now get their Trophies books and own their own review “Ramona Forever.” Then, using their letter writing template, students will choose one character: Ramona, Beezus, Mrs. Quimby, or Mr. Quimby, to write a letter to. In their letters, they must use a text connection and why this connection is important in the letter.

The teacher will be writing a letter of her own to a character in the story with a text connection. After writing the teacher will pull her last guided reading group of the week to discuss the text. After her reading group, she will assist any student with any extra help, if needed.


The students will share at their tables who they are writing their letter to and which text-connection they chose. The teacher will share her letter to the students and share her text-connection that she chose. The students will then participate in an activity called “Quiz, Quiz, and Trade.” The teacher will give each student an index card with a question, text connection, or phrase. They will then have to move around the room asking different students the question on the card. After each student shares what is on both of their cards, they will have to trade cards and quiz someone else. We will do this activity for five minutes before we end reading for the

day. The teacher will close by saying, “Great Job today class, your letters are coming out great! We will continue to write our letters tomorrow!”


Trophies text (26), Post-It notes, pencils, letter writing templates (26), Quiz cards, chart paper, markers

Day: 5

Goal: Students will create a friendly letter using text connections.

Standard: [3.3.9] Make Connections to self, other text, and/or the world; use information to answer specific questions. [3.9]



Introduction: The teacher will say, ‘Today boys and girls, we will continue to write our friendly letters! Please record your Question of the Day in your journals: In your letter, explain how are you using your text connection?”

Demonstration/model: On chart paper, the teacher will write down her text connection and show students how she is using it in her friendly letter to Ramona. She will then ask students if there are any questions about their letters.

Guided Lesson: The teacher will have students discuss positives and negatives that they have about text connections. The teacher will ask which is the easiest and which is the most difficult text connection is.

Guided Practice: Along with the teachers help, students will discuss an easy way for them to remember each text connection. They can do this by thinking of mental images, creating a picture, or using hand signals to help them remember the connections.

Share, Review, Closure: The teacher will close by saying, “Great job this week on learning all three text connections! Give yourselves a round of applause! Now we will go back to our seats and finish writing, revising, or correcting our letters! Those of you who will finish early may go to the centers they are assigned to on the board.”


Students will then go back to their seats to finish their letters. Those students who finish early will be allowed to go to the centers they are assigned to. Students will use this time to finish their rough drafts to their letters.

The teacher will meet with students and assist them with their writing or their reading. She will watch the students who may be in centers and ensure that proper behavior is being displayed.

If needed, students can use their Trophies text for any assistance in their writing.


Students will then be called to the meeting area with their letters and sit in a circle. In this activity, students will pass their paper three times to the right. They will then give positive feedback to their classmates and give a compliment to them. The teacher will close by saying, “Today class we learned how to remember our three text connections and used them in our writing. Great Job this week! Now, I would like you all to write in your journals for five minutes and reflect on the week’s lesson.”


Trophies text (26), reading journals (26), chart paper, markers, student letters, literacy centers set-up

Guided Reading Lesson Plan

Find some difficult words that you could provide strategies for decoding. Write down the prompts you would use.

Strategies that could be used for decoding difficult words in the text could be breaking the word apart and decoding each part of the word rather than the whole word. For example, the words that contain prefixes and/ or suffixes.

Vocabulary: Identify at least 4 words that you would discuss with your students prior to reading the text and identify why you chose those 4 words.

Four words I would choose to discuss before reading would be: contagious, prescription, unexpected, and inflammation.

I would choose these words because they are the most difficult to understand in the text for students.

Stage One - Pre-Reading:

Before reading, students will do a picture walk through the book and make predictions and inferences to the text they are about to read.

Stage Two - During Reading:

During reading, students can ask themselves questions about the text they are reading. They can also use a story map to help them track elements and events in the story. This will help them comprehend what they are reading.

Stage Three - After Reading:

After reading, students can use questioning strategies to help them understand the text a bit further. Students will question the author, the reading, and themselves.

List three questions you might ask to prompt a grand conversation and require students to dig deeper.

1. How do the main character’s emotions change throughout the text? Give context clues to support you answer.

2. What would you prescribe a friend who had siblingitis? Is this a real disease?

3. How would you feel if you were in the main character’s shoes? Discuss and explain why.

Literacy Centers

1. Match My Text Connection Center- Throughout the week, students have been learning

about the three text connections- text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to-world. At this center,

students will have to match different phrases, book titles, and text connections together. The

game will be played a lot like the Memory Game. Each student will take turns flipping over two

cards to make a match. Depending on the deck that they choose, students will have to say

whether the deck is text-to-self, text-to-text, or text-to-world. After the game is over, students

will be given an answer key to show which cards matches the other cards. This is helpful for

students to see if they made any mistakes and show them the correct text connection.

2. Guess the Text Connection- There will be two students at this center. The object of this

center is to guess the text connection the partner has by listening to the clues they are giving. On

each slip of paper, there will be a two book titles or two phrases pertaining to two of the books

that were read this week and the text connection. Partner A will give Partner B clues to help

them guess the book titles and the text connection between them. After Partner B guesses the

right answer, then it is Partner A’s turn to guess.

3. Illustration Center- Students at this center will fold their paper down the middle

“hamburger” style. By their choice, students will choose text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-

world. They will then choose a text to review and draw an illustration on one half of the paper

describing that text. On the other half of the paper, they will illustrate the text connection that

they choose. Then using a piece of loose-leaf paper, the students will describe what they have

drawn and explain the text connection they chose. They will then have the teacher staple their

drawings and statements on a bulletin board.

4. Write A Letter Center – This week in class students wrote letters to a character in one of the

books we read in class this week. At this center, the students will choose one author to write to

from one the books we have read. They will use what they have learned about writing letters in

this center and could even find an address to send the letter to the author. In the letter, the student

will have to mention one text connection that they had to the author’s book.

Literacy Station Rubric

Letter-Writing : To My Author Letter

Teacher Name: Ms. Moore

Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Heading and Greeting

Salutation and closing have no errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Salutation and closing have 1-2 errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Salutation and closing have 3 or more errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Salutation and/or closing are missing.

Grammar & spelling (conventions)

Writer makes no errors in grammar or spelling.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in grammar and/or spelling.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in grammar and/or spelling

Writer makes more than 4 errors in grammar and/or spelling.

Capitalization and Punctuation

Writer makes no errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Writer makes 1-2 errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Writer makes 3-4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Writer makes more than 4 errors in capitalization and punctuation.

Envelope Complete, accurate return address and recipient address. Addresses in correct positions.

Complete, accurate return address and recipient address. Position may be slightly off.

1-2 errors in return address. Recipient address is correct.

Addresses are incomplete and/or inaccurate.

Additional Texts

When the New Baby Comes, I’m Moving Out by Martha Alexander Here She Comes Bringing Me Home That Little Baby Girl by Eloise Greenfield Arthur’s Baby by Marc Brown

balanced literacy unit

Documents

accurate return address

answer specific questions

reading direct lesson

grade trophies books

write friendly letters

guided lesson

meeting area

recipient address