comprehension lessons 2006 and 2007

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Comprehension Lessons

Informed by: Miller, D. (2002). Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary

grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Professor Mary Ann Reilly

Written by Graduate Students in

EDU 5367

Spring 2006 & 2007

Manhattanville College

School of Education/Literacy

2900 Purchase Street

Purchase, NY 10577

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Table of Contents

I. Activating Schema

Emily Traychef: A Shelter in Our Car ………………………4

Dawn Meldrum: An Angel for Solomon Singer ……………..7

Gail Dobosh: The Royal Bee. ………………………………11

Nikyda Scott: Cornrows ……………………………………13

Joanna Lewczuk: The Araboolies Of Liberty Street ……….16

II. Creating Mental/Aural Images

Jennifer DeLaney: What Charlie Heard ………………..…21

Nancy Woolf: Sky Sisters…………………………………...23

Ashley Blondin: Night in the Country………………………26

Joanna Becker: Peach and Blue ………………………...…29

Roni Blaustein: The First Music ……………………...……33

Stacey Cleary: Georgia’s Bones ……………………………38

Mary Carroll: Ellington Was Not a Street …………………44

Meghan Zandoli: Lily Brown’s Paintings ………………… 47

Heather DeBlasio: Mud …………………………………….50

Meghan Winslow: Salt Hands ……………………………54

III. Asking Questions

Corinne Berthiaume: The Librarian from Basra:

A True Story from Iraq ………………………………59

Cynthia Carpentieri: If You Listen…………………………….62

IV. Determining Importance: Non-Fiction

Nancy Alderman: Spiders ……………………………..…...65

Lindsey Keller: Creepy Crawlies ………………………......70

Amanda Jenkins: Bugs Bugs Bugs…………………….….. 72

Sheila Chaglasian: Dirt……………………………………..74

V. Inferring

Lindsay Guerra: Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky

Where Are You Going Manyoni? …………77

VI. Synthesis

Lindsay Babcock: The Dot

Museum Trip ……………………………81

Karen Thornton: The Pot That Juan Built………….…….. 84

Lauren Mintzer: The Rag Coat …………………………… 87

Miriam Stein: The Story of Jumping Mouse.

A Color of His Own ………………………….91

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Note to Reader…

This collection of reading lessons focuses on grades 1 and 2 and privileges the explicit

teaching of reading comprehension strategies through a reading workshop format.

The comprehension strategies listed below are privileged:

Reading Comprehension Strategies

1. Schema/Making connections— between texts, the world, and students' lives

(sometimes called text-to-text, text-to-world, and text-to-self connections). Readers

bring their background knowledge and experiences of life to a text.

2. Creating mental images. These "mind pictures" help readers enter the text visually in

their mind's eye.

3. Asking questions. Readers who use this strategy actively ask questions of the text as

they read.

4. Determining importance. This strategy describes a reader's conscious and ongoing

determination of what is important in a text.

5. Inferring. When readers infer, they create new meaning on the basis of their life

experiences and clues from the book.

6. Synthesizing. Although this strategy is sometimes considered a retell, synthesizing is

a way of spiraling deeper into the book. Readers might explore the text through the

perspective of different characters to come to new understandings about the

character's life and world.

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Activating Schema

Text: Gunning, Monica. Illus: Elaine Pedlar. (1994). A Shelter In Our Car. San

Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

Lesson Written By: Emily Traycheff

Intended Audience:

• Grade 2

Goal: Develop knowledge of schema

and text-to-self connection.

Objectives:

• Students will make observations of a

character’s emotions.

• Students will make text-to-self connections

and activate schema

• Students will understand how to identify the prominent message of a text.

NY State ELA standards:

Standard 1: Information and understanding.

• Students will be making observations and responses to the text

Standard 2: Literary response and expression

• *Students will be making text-to-self connections with the text

• *Students will explore the diverse social and cultural dimension represented by

the text

Prerequisite Knowledge:

• Students will be familiar with the book

• students will have responded and reacted to the content of the book

• students will have discussed the possibility of some people having to live this

way.

• Students will know how to use signals to visually cue the teacher during read

aloud.

Materials Needed:

• Text: Gunning, Monica. Illus: Elaine Pedlar. (1994). A Shelter In Our Car. San

Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

• Easel and markers

• Students’ self selected reading texts.

• Student notebooks

• Handout for take home practice

Procedures:

1. Gather the students in the reading corner

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2. Ask the students to raise their hand if they remember the book A Shelter in Our

Car.

3. Have one of the students summarize the story and another student to recall the

characters

4. Read aloud the text. Cue the students to listen carefully for what makes Zettie

feel happy, sad, or frightened and to identify the words that gave us clues as to

how she is feeling.

5. After reading the first two sentences, stop and identify that already we have

learned something that makes Zettie frightened. Make a chart to document the

emotions:

Page What emotion did

Zettie feel? What words helped us to know how

Zettie felt? When have we

felt the same way

as Zettie?

6. Invite children to contribute to the chart as we read. Explain that we are

interrupting the reading so we can think aloud together. Have the students signal

when they think Zettie is happy by giving thumbs up, when she is sad by giving

thumbs down, and when she is frightened by putting their hands over their

mouths.

7. Continue to read aloud starting from the beginning of the book.

8. When cued by the student’s signals, stop and record Zettie’s emotions. Have

them contribute “A Time we felt that way” but try to make it as parallel to the text

as possible.

9. Make a verbal note to the students that you notice that some things are on the

chart more than one time (Zettie is happy when she thinks about Jamaica)…have

the students identify a time they might have been unhappy and they used their

minds to THINK of something happy.

10. Upon finishing the book, identify what made Zettie happiest. Did she initially

realize the thing that made her happiest? (no – first thought it was Jamaica, then

realized it was just being with her mother).

11. Go back into text to find and reread clues that helped the reader to realize this

point: the text is how we understand what is going on in the story, our schema is

how we understand how Zettie is feeling

12. Explain schema…”schema are the things we already have in our head. These

things make reading more fun because we can use our schema to connect the

reading to ourselves. Today we used our schema to relate the text to ourselves

and our feelings. This is called a text-to-self connection.”

13. Review what was documented on the easel and ask students to identify who made

a text-to-self connection (who contributed to the last column)

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14. Remind the students that we identified what was most important to Zettie and use

schema to make a text-to-self connection: what is most important to YOU?

15. Have students write in their notebooks identifying what is most important to them

and why it helps them understand how important the mother is to Zettie.

Adaptations:

As students write, the teacher will observe if they are able to apply the text-to-self

concept. She will see if they are staying on task in writing about something that is most

important to them and how it would feel to not have that thing of importance.

Students with diverse learning needs who might struggle with a writing assignment could

draw a picture of Zettie and express, through art, how significant her mother was to her.

Students could then draw a picture of the thing most important to them and make a list of

things that they included in both pictures to capture the importance of each thing. The

teacher would then explain this is a text-to-self connection because artistically Zettie is

represented in a similar way to the student because they are both depicted with something

very important.

Assignments:

1. In class the students will document, in their notebook, something most important

to them so they can make the text-to-self connection identifying how important

Zettie’s mother was to her.

2. Students will be given a handout for home so they can document one text-to-self

connection they had with a book of their choice and identify how their schema

helped them make that connection.

Assessment:

1. During the read aloud it will be evident if the students are able to make

connections with the text and apply it to themselves.

2. As they write in their notebooks, the teacher should observe whether or not they

have grasped the concept of text-to-self connections using their schema.

3. The take – home assignment will allow the teacher to see if the students retained

what they learned and accurately made text-to-self connections using their

schema. In class, having read the notebooks from the previous day and seen the

homework, the teacher has the opportunity to identify and rectify any confusions

or insecurities.

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Activating Schema

Text: Rylant, Cynthia. (1992). An Angel for Solomon Singer. NY: Orchard Books.

Lesson Written By: Dawn Meldrum

Intended Audience:

• Grade 2

GOAL:

• Students will develop a deeper

understanding of text through text

connections..

OBJECTIVE:

1. Students will have an understanding of

the following three ways to make

connections to text; text-to-self,

text-to-world, text-to-text and how each

can help us as readers to comprehend text.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE:

1. Students will understand and have

practiced making mental images.

2. Students will know how to appropriately ask questions and respond during read-

aloud and instruction.

3. Students will know how to appropriately ask questions and respond during read-

aloud and instruction.

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED:

NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information

and understanding.

• Engage in independent silent reading.

• Connect words and ideas in books to prior knowledge.

• Use own perspectives and opinions to comprehend text.

• Ask questions in response to texts.

• Read grade-level texts with comprehension and for different purposes.

• Work cooperatively with peers to comprehend text.

NY State ELA Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary

response and expression.

• Connect literary texts to previous life experiences to enhance understanding.

• Select literature on the basis of personal needs and interests from a variety of

genres and by different authors.

• Relate characters in literature to own lives.

• Use previous reading and life experiences to understand literature.

• Ask questions to clarify literary texts and performances.

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NY State ELA Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social

interaction.

• Share reading experiences to build relationships with peers or adults.

• Offer feedback to others during conferences.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Rylant, Cynthia. (1992). An Angel for Solomon Singer. NY: Orchard Books.

• Easel and markers.

• Post-it-notes and writing instrument for each student.

• Students’ self-selected reading texts.

PROCEDURES:

Total Time 90 Minutes

Introduction Steps 1-11: 20 Minutes

Reading Time Step 12: 25 Minutes

Confer with Partner/Practice step 13: 25 Minutes

Conclusion/Shared Discussion Steps 14-16: 20 Minutes

1. Students will all sit on the rug facing the teacher and easel.

2. On chart paper the following will be written:

We can use our own life experiences and what we know to help us connect with the text.

text-to-self text-to-world text-to-text

3. Teacher will introduce topic.

• “Today we are going to talk about making connections to text. There are

three different types of connections we can make.”

• If the story reminds you of a personal experience that is a text-to-self

connection.

• If the story reminds you of something that has happened, or is happening

in the world that is a text-to-world connection.

• If the story reminds you of another book, that is a text-to-text connection.

• Teacher will introduce the book An Angel for Solomon Singer.

4. Teacher reads story and models connections.

• Read title, author and show cover picture.

• “Today I am going to read this book An Angel for Solomon Singer. This is

the story of a lonely old man living in New York. As I read this story I

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want you to pay attention to the types of connections I make and how

these connections help me to understand the story.”

5. Teacher reads story and models connections.

6. Teacher will write connections on a post-it-note and leave it marking the page

where the connection was made.

• Suggested Connections:

• Connection to a time when you were lonely or did not love where you

were.

• “This part of the story reminds me of when I first moved to NY from

California. I had no friends or family here and I was very lonely and I

missed the beautiful California Sunsets and the foothills by my house.”

• Connection to stars, restaurants or people who are elderly and alone. (text-

to-world)

• “When I think about how Solomon was elderly and living alone, it makes

me think that there are a lot of people in the world who might feel the

same way that Solomon does.”

• Connection of the text to a story that was previously read in class or is in

the class library.

• “When I read the very last page of this story it reminded me of the story

…”

7. Teacher will go through each connection again at the conclusion of the story and

will write the connection on the easel paper.

8. Teacher will ask students to make a mental image of their own life experience that

connects to the text. (text-to-self).

9. Students will then be asked to share some of their connections and they will be

written on the easel.

10. Teacher will ask student if they have any other connections they would like to

add. These could include text-to-world and text-to-text connections. Any other

connections will be included on the easel.

11. Summarize and conclude instruction/demonstration and ask for questions.

“As you spend time reading today, I want you to try to make connections to the

text. Think about the three different types of connections we can make with our

text. Everyone take your post-it-notes with you when you read. When you make a

connection I want you to write down what type of connection you made on the

post-it-note and leave it on the page where you made the connection. We will

spend time sharing and discussing our connections with a partner and then will all

meet back at the rug after reading time and share some of our connections all

together.”

12. Students will gather their book and find a comfortable spot to read and apply this

new strategy.

13. Students will be asked to meet in pairs to discuss their connections with a partner.

“Now that you have all had time to read and make connections I would like you to

find a partner and discuss some of the connections you made in your reading.”

14. Students will be asked to meet at the rug to discuss in a large group the

connections that they made.

• “Did everyone find some connections in their reading today?”

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• “Who would like to share a text-to-self connection that they made?”

15. Teacher will ask for text-to-world and text-to-text connections.

16. Conclude lesson by summarizing the connections and praising students for their

new learning.

ADAPTATIONS/ACCOMODATIONS:

1. Teacher will use the guided practice and modeling part of the lesson to insure that

all students understand each connection. Depending on types of questions and

teacher observations, the teacher will spend extra time to clarify some or all

connections.

2. During the individual reading time, the teacher will interact with individual

students to support their specific learning needs.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Students will write one or more paragraphs describing the connections that they made

to their text.

ASSESSMENT:

1. Teacher will circulate during individual reading time and observe the students

using the new strategy. Teacher will use this time to support and interact with

students in order to assist them and to be sure that they understand the process of

making connections.

2. During the paired sharing portion of the lesson, the teacher will observe and

record observations that show students level or understanding, including their

strengths and weaknesses.

a. Teacher will record observations in small notebooks that are designated

for individual students.

b. Teacher will notice and record the types of connections that the student

makes and whether students are able to indicate how a connection helped

them to understand their text.

c. Teacher will notice and record the student’s questions or confusions, as

well as the student’s positive and negative social interactions and use this

information to plan additional instruction.

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Activating Schema Text: Park, Frances and Park, Grace. (2000). The Royal Bee. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press.

Lesson Written By: Gail Dobosh

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:

• Students will develop a deeper

appreciation of the text through activated

schema.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will be able to make predictions

about the text and validate or invalidate

these predictions as they read further.

2. The students will make these predictions

by using their schema and referencing

textual clues.


Students must have some prior exposure to children’s literature so that they may access

their schema in making predictions about the text.


NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and

understanding

NY State Reading Competencies:

• Connect words and ideas in books to prior knowledge

• Increase background knowledge by elaborating and integrating new vocabulary

and ideas from text.

• Use comprehension strategies (predict/confirm, reread, self-correct) to clarify

meaning of the text.

• Work cooperatively with peers (peer pairs or small groups) to comprehend text.


• Ask questions in response to texts.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Park, Frances and Park, Grace. (2000). The Royal Bee. Honesdale, PA:

Boyds Mill Press.

• Easel and markers.

• Two column note paper, pencils and crayons.

PROCEDURES:

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1. Gather children by the easel.

2. Have written on two-column chart paper “our predictions” and “the thinking

behind them.”

3. Introduce read-aloud text, The Royal Bee. Provide a bit of background knowledge

about the culture of Korea at the time of the story.

4. Begin to read aloud, stopping to infer the meaning for unknown words like

yangban and sangmin.

5. After reading several pages which set up the main problem in the story, stop and

ask the children what they predict will happen next.

6. Record the prediction on the chart under the heading “our predictions” and then

probe for the reasoning behind that prediction. Record the reasoning under the

appropriate heading.

7. Review the strategy for making predictions such as using schema for similar

stories. Students might predict that the protagonist will win the spelling bee and

bring home riches to his poor mother, as that would be a typical “happy ending.”

8. Return to the text and reread to see if there are any other hints that help make

predictions and record under the “thinking behind the predictions” header.

9. Continue reading the text and when the prediction is confirmed, place a big C for

“confirmed” under the prediction on the chart.

10. Continue reading aloud, asking the children at critical moments in the text to

make future predictions and state the reasoning behind them. Record on the chart.

11. Release the children to work on their own during reading workshop. Give them a

two-column note form, asking them to predict the outcome of the story and to

record their thinking behind that prediction. Have them illustrate their work.

12. During the sharing session, have the children share their outcomes and their

reasonings.

13. Finish reading the text aloud and discuss the validity of the predictions.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Students practice making predictions and explaining the reasoning behind their

predictions during the independent part of the workshop that follows the mini-lesson. In

future sessions, students will also continue to make predictions, explain their reasoning,

and then validate their predictions with information from the text.

ASSESSMENT:

Teacher interacts with the children during the lesson, and notices how the children make

predictions and observes their reasoning strategies. Teacher also observes the children

during the workshop portion of the lesson to see how they make the predictions on their

own, intervening to help the students as needed.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

During the lesson when soliciting predictions about the text, the teacher encourages

participation on a wide scale. When the students work individually, the teacher has the

opportunity to have one-one-one interactions to ensure that each child understands the

concepts.

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Activating Schema

Text: Yarbrough, Camille. (1997). Cornrows. Illustrated by Carole Byard. NY: Puffin.

Lesson Written By: Nikyda Scott

GOAL:

• The goal of this lesson is to

show how an individual can

relate to a text on a personal

level.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will be able to choose

texts they are connected to and

explain how these texts are

connected to them.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2


A. Standard 2-Language for Literary Response and Expression: Students will

read, write, listen and speak for literary response and expression.

B. Elementary Level Principle 1: Listening and reading for literary response

involves comprehending, interpreting, and critiquing imaginative texts in

every medium, drawing on personal experiences and knowledge to understand

the text, and recognizing the social, historical and cultural features of the text.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Students should know how to choose an appropriate

reading level book, have some knowledge of what states are considered southern states, a

general idea of slavery and have some understanding that different cultures do different

things within their culture.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

a) Cornrows by Camille Yarbrough and illustrated by Carole Byard

b) classroom library

c) tag board, white board, or chalk board (what ever you usually write on during

read aloud time)

d) markers, dry erase markers, or chalk

PROCEDURES:

1) Call students to the reading rug.

2) Tell the students, ‘Today we will be learning how to choose books that we can

personally relate to on a deeper level. How many of you have read a book about a

dog?’ Wait for a show of hands and then ask, ‘Of those students who raised their

hands, how many of you own a dog or used to own a dog? Now see, a book about

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a dog would have a deeper meaning to these students than to the students who

never owned a dog because they can probably relate to the character(s) in the

book a little better since they probably experienced what the character(s) did.’

3) ‘The book I’m going to read to you today is a book that I personally can relate to

on a personal level. The book is called Cornrows by Camille Yarbrough and

illustrated by Carole Byard. Can anyone tell me what cornrows are?’ The

response you are looking for is that it’s a hairstyle commonly used in the black

culture, but make sure to clarify even though it is most commonly used by blacks,

other cultures have adapted it into their own culture.

4) Then ask the students, ‘Can you name any other hairstyles that are used today by

many people?’ Write all these suggestions down on the board and if there is an

example the students don’t recognize, have the student who suggested it explain

what it looks like.

5) After you have written down their responses, call the students to attention and

start to read the book.

6) After reading the first page, put the book down and tell the students, ‘Now as you

can see the spelling of the words in this book are a little different than how we

would regularly spell them as in Great-Gram-maw instead of Great-grandmother

or great-grandma. Depending on the region of the country you live in, people will

have different pronunciations of commonly used words. Here in this story, the

language reflects a dialect of the south. This book was also written in the 1970’s

so there might be a few words that were popular back then to express how a

person felt about something (i.e. the word dynamite used in the last sentence).

What do you think the author meant by using that word?’ Wait and listen to their

responses and continue reading. *You can write down these examples on the

board to emphasize the point and to help students visually see what you are

talking about since the print isn’t big enough for the ones in the back to see.*

7) When you reach page 5 of text, stop and put the book down. Here’s where you

add you’re personal experience in relation to the story. This will be different for

different people so I have no dialogue here on what to tell the students. After your

reflection, continue reading the story.

8) When you have read the 18th

, 19th

, and 20th

pages, tell the students, ‘These names

the author used are the names of important black people to not just African-

American history but in American history as well. They did historical acts, which

are talked about today by various groups and most can be found in today’s history

books.’ Here you can talk about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr. as

examples; they probably are the most recognizable names of the bunch to the

students.

9) Finish the book and ask, ‘Can anyone else relate to this book like I did?’ If

students raise their hands ask them to explain how they related to this book.

10) Next, tell the students, ‘See how I found a book that I could relate to on a personal

level because my mother used to braid my hair when I was little and tell me

stories while she was braiding. Well I want you to do the same thing today when

you go to choose a book for independent reading. I want you to find a book you

can personally relate to and then share the book and your experience with a peer.’

11) Dismiss the students to choose their book and to their reading spots.

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ADAPTATIONS: This book might not pertain to every teacher that uses this lesson

plan, so make sure to choose a text, which you can connect with on a deeper level. As for

adaptations regarding the students, if a student has a physical handicap, pair them with a

peer and have them work on this together and try to find a text they both share a

connection with.

ASSIGNMENTS: Students will choose a level appropriate book they can relate to and

read it to a peer. Then they will explain how it connects to them by telling/explaining a

similar experience as told in the text. Also, have the students record the book and their

experience in their journals.

ASSESSMENT: In personal conferences with the students and observing them while

they are in groups, they will able to effectively explain how the text they chose relates to

them on a personal level. The text they chose will also be reading level appropriate for

the students and have a deep and meaningful connection beyond something simplistic

(i.e. I read a book about a car and we own a car).

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ACTIVATING SCHEMA

Text: Swope, Sam. 1989. The Araboolies Of Liberty Street. Illustrated by Barry Root.

NY: Clarkson Potter.

Lesson Written By: Joanna Lewczuk

Intended Audience: 1st Grade

Goal:

Students will understand how one’s schema affects his

or her predictions and interpretations.

Objectives:

•Students will learn what the term “schema” means.

•Students will deepen their understanding of how much

schema can influence a person’s interpretations of same

situations.

•Students will learn to activate their schema and to

discuss their thinking with others.

New York State English Language Arts Learning Standards Addressed:

Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As

listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues

presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they

will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English

language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on

experiences, ideas, information and issues.

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

Students will listen, speak, read, and write for social interaction. Students will use oral

and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language for

effective social communication with a wide variety of people. As readers and listeners,

they will use the social communications of others to enrich their understanding of people

and their views.


•Students are familiar with the common text conventions.

•Students understand the terms “title”, “illustrations”, “story line”, and “predictions”.

•Students understand how to interact together during a mini-lesson.

Materials Needed:

1. Text: Swope, Sam. (1989). The Araboolies Of Liberty Street. NY: Clarkson Potter.

Illustrated by Barry Root.

2. Easel with chart paper and markers.

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3. Plenty of loose-leaf paper or the students’ journals

4. Large neutral-colored post-its.

Procedures:

1. Prior to the lesson, cover all of the text in the story with the post-its.

2. Gather the children on the rug in front of the white board.

3. Explain to the students what the word “schema” means. Talk about how their past

experiences might influence what they predict or interpret (text-to-self).

4. Ask the students to think of specific features of books that help them predict what will

happen in the story. The students should come up with examples such as: the title, the

illustrations, past experiences, story line etc.

5. Record their ideas on the chart board. Tell them that today we will practice activating

our schema to predict what a story might be about.

6. Show the students the book. Do not open it but let them study the cover and make sure

that they hear or read the title. After they have studied it for a few moments tell them

your prediction.

Ex. “I think that the Araboolies are the people who are on the cover in the van. They are

probably musicians. I think so because one of them is playing the trumpet and they are

riding in a van. From my past experiences, I know that musicians who are in bands drive

around in vans when they are on tour. The book must also be about some kind of

freedom because the name of the street is Liberty Street. I know that liberty has to do

with being free. I wonder how significant that will be in the story.”

Ask the students for predictions they have and how their predictions connect to what they

know.

7. Draw a prediction chart on the white chart paper (see attached for sample) and write

“Cover” next to the first “Illustration”. Then next to “Prediction” write your name and

your predictions. Next to “Past Experiences (schema)” write your name again and add

your past experiences that influenced your prediction.

8. Tell the children that you have covered the text within the book with pieces of paper

but that you will be looking at the illustrations to predict what the story is about, record

the predictions, and then later read the story together to see what similarities and what

differences there were between your conclusions and the actual story.

9. Turn the page and study the first illustration with the class. The first illustration

spreads across two pages so treat the first two pages of the book as the first illustration.

Continue to fill in the chart for the following illustrations the same way as the above

example but instead of “Cover”, write down the illustration number next to each

“Illustration” on the chart, filling in each box with appropriate predictions and reasons for

them.

10. For the following illustrations, invite the class to come up with their predictions and

explanations of their thinking and then write those on the chart labeling each student’s

ideas with his or her name. Try to have at least two different predictions for each

illustration so that later on you can show them that each person might have a different

prediction about the same drawing.

Ex. “Okay class, now why don’t you try to think about what the next illustration means

to you and what you predict”. Ask the children for their explanations and if you notice

18

that everyone has something to say, instruct them to face a partner and exchange their

thinking with each other for a minute or two.

11. After the last illustration is discussed tell the students to get ready to hear the

author’s story. Tell them to pay attention to the parts that are similar to the predictions

and to the ones that are different as well.

12. After reading each page, compare the author’s events to the predictions on the chart.

13. Read the story to the children once and ask them what they have noticed. Discuss

how and why the illustrations have helped them make predictions about the story and

why some of their predictions might not have matched the story. Try to discover together

how each person’s schema might have influenced those conclusions. Notice the

illustrations for which different predictions were made by different people and discuss

why this was so.

Ex. “Wow, I see that the Araboolies were not really musicians. I said that because based

on my experiences, I imagined them to be. I see exactly why the street was named

Liberty Street. The people who have lived there before the Araboolies moved in, were

finally able to live the fun lives they have always wanted. They were freed from General

Pinch. Oh look, the fourth illustration had two different predictions. Let’s see, who

made these?”

After the children talk about their predictions, stress the importance of their past

experiences again.

14. Encourage the students to apply this in their independent reading. Tell them to try to

predict what their stories might be about based on the titles, the illustrations, and their

schema. Leave the filled-in chart paper out as a model because they will be making

similar charts on loose leaf or in their journals.

Adaptations:

1.The teacher can guide the students in their text selection after the mini-lesson to ensure

that their choices will work for this activity.

2. If particular students make predictions but are unable to provide proper schema

connections, the teacher will ask questions that will help the students uncover the reasons

behind their thinking. For example, if a student predicts that the 3rd

illustration depicts a

girl who is bored, then the teacher can ask the student what he or she does when he or she

is bored. If the student answers that he or she sits in one place and just stares then the

teacher points out that the girl in the picture is also sitting and staring.

3. During the mini-lesson, the teacher should have the children who might have visual

perception problems sitting in the front so that they can see the illustrations as well as the

chart paper better.

Assignments:

In class, the students will be encouraged to try this activity with other books they have

not yet read that the teacher had prepared as choices for this activity. These can be books

that the students cannot yet read by themselves and after completing their own

predictions, the teacher can read the books to them. The students can work with partners

or in small groups on one book discussing the thinking that resulted in their predictions.

Assessment:

19

1. During the lesson, the teacher will be able to listen to the children in order to decide

whether or not they understand “schema”. During their conversations, the children

should mention past experiences and share what they know about topics that might be

relevant to the illustrations. The teacher can listen for statements that start with phrases

such as “I think that because I know that...”, “I predict this because I have seen….”, and

“This picture makes me think of….”. Any other phrase that points to a student’s

activation of prior knowledge is of course acceptable.

2. If the children choose to continue this activity independently with different books, then

their writing and discussions with other students will be helpful in assessment. During

these conversations, phrases similar to the ones in the above example will demonstrate

the students’ activation of their schemas.

20

Prediction Chart

Illustration: Prediction: Past Experience (schema):




21

Creating Mental Images

Text: Gerstein, Mordicai. (2002). What Charlie Heard. New York: Farrar, Straus &

Giroux.

Lesson By: Jennifer DeLaney

GRADE LEVEL: 1st Grade

GOAL: The purpose of this lesson is to improve reading

comprehension through the creation of mental images.

OBJECTIVES: By the end of the lesson, students will be able

to create independently detailed mental images while they read.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: This lesson is intended for a 1st grade class.


Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

Standard 4: Language for Social Interaction

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: At this point in the school year, students have

already participated in many read aloud and independent reading sessions. The class has

already discussed what the term “mental image”.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1. Text: Gerstein, Mordicai. 2002. What Charlie Heard. New York: Farrar, Straus &

Giroux.

2. Blank, unlined paper

3. Markers

PROCEDURES:

1. Teacher will review the discussion the class previously had about mental

images. Teacher will ask a volunteer to explain what a mental image is.

Reference to a previous anchor chart will be made.

2. Teacher will then ask another child to give an example of a mental image.

3. Teacher will then ask all students to close their eyes and imagine that they are

eating ice cream with a friend on a hot summer day. (This is knowledge the

teacher is relatively certain students possess). The teacher will ask each

student questions about their mental image: What were you wearing? How

does the heat feel? What kind of ice cream were you eating?

4. Teacher will then explain that they are going to read a book together and make

mental images based on what we read.

5. The teacher will read aloud the book What Charlie Heard by Mordicai

Gerstein to the class. The teacher will refrain from showing the class the

22

illustrations. The teacher will stop reading and demonstrate how she creates a

mental image based on what has been read aloud.

6. When the teacher reaches the passage below, she will ask students to create a

mental image, but not share them with the class: “On the Fourth of July,

Charlie rode a float. He heard fireworks and his father’s band with the big

bass drum. He heard the applause, sighs, and cheers of the crowd.”

7. The teacher asks students to remember that image and to quickly illustrate it

on a large Post-it.

8. After students complete their sketch, they will pair and share.

9. The teacher will return to the text and show the class the illustrations in the

book that correlates with the text the students made mental image.

10. The teacher will ask how making a mental image helped students to

understand what had been read.

11. Teacher will continue the read aloud, pausing to add mental images to the

chart s/he is keeping and inviting student to add images they see and

experience as well. Students will record these on blank post its.

ADAPTATIONS: This lesson uses both visual and aural leaning methods. By doing so,

it accommodates both learning styles.

ASSIGNMENTS: Students will be asked to select another book from the classroom

which they feel could elicit strong mental images. Students will then select a partner and

close their eyes while their partner reads aloud one of the selected books to them.

Students will practice creating mental images during this reading.

ASSESSMENT: The review and discussion of students’ illustrations will help the

teacher assess their abilities to create mental images to correlate with text as ell as the

students’ comments to the question: How does making a mental image help you to better

understand the text?

23


Text: Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. (2000). Sky Sisters. NY: Kids Can Press Ltd.

Lesson Written By: Nancy Woolf

GOAL: Students will develop a deeper

appreciation of the text by creating

mental images.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to create

mental pictures during and after

reading to help them better

comprehend the text.

• Students will be able to use these

images to draw conclusions, create their

own interpretations of the text, recall significant details from the text, and recall

the text after it has been read. In addition, students will be able to use these skills

to create images in their own writing.


• Students will use their schema and known vocabulary from the texts.



and understanding.




• Connect words and ideas in book to prior knowledge.


and ideas from the text.


• Ask questions in response to text.

• Comprehend and respond to imaginative texts and performances; interpret, with

assistance.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Waboose, Jan Bourdeau. (2000). Sky Sisters. NY: Kids Can Press Ltd.

• Black construction paper and colored chalk

• Students’ self-selected texts.

24

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather children on the rug or have them remain at their desks if there is not

enough room for the children to stretch out and put their heads down.

2. Review comprehension strategies with the children and introduce the idea of

creating mental images to better understand when reading.

3. Introduce read aloud text

4. Explain to the children that they need to close their eyes and put their heads down

so they can listen to the text for the first time without seeing the illustrations. Tell

them they will have the opportunity to see the illustrations in the book after they

have made their own mental pictures.

5. Give an example of creating a mental picture by having them close their eyes and

get into listening position and then tell them it is their birthday and their mom is

coming through the door with a giant cake for them to share with their classmates.

Ask the children to raise their hands when they have a mental image of this. Call

on several children to see what kind of cake they “saw” to illustrate the idea of

making mental pictures.

6. Begin reading the text and pause when it is appropriate to ask for some mental

images the children are “seeing”.

7. Continue reading aloud until the very end of the book.

8. When the author writes about the SkySpirits and the Northern lights, stop but

don’t ask for any mental images.

9. At this point direct the children to open their eyes and return to their desks so that

they can create a mental image of these two elements (SkySpirits and Northern

Lights) on paper.

10. Give the children the black paper and colored chalk and ask them to draw their

mental image.

11. Observe the children as they make their works of art. Stop and ask questions to

see why they have chosen to draw what they have.

12. Return back to the rug to share images.

13. Read the book again and show the children how the illustrator chose to show the

SkySpirits and Northern Lights.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Students can continue to practice making images of mental pictures from books or other

texts of their choice. For homework ask them to have their mom or dad read aloud to

them and they can draw their favorite mental image from that book or other text. Explain

to them that poems often bring about vivid mental images so they may want to try a

poem.

ASSESSMENT:

• Teacher interacts during the lesson to notice how a child explains a mental image.

• Teacher observes children creating their mental images and asks questions about

• their choices of color, form, etc.

• Teacher discusses mental images the children bring in for homework and have

them share with the class.

25

ACCOMODATIONS:

Teacher should choose texts that have topics for which children have sufficient schema.

Teacher should make sure to call on every child for a mental image during the initial

reading to ensure every child understands the concept. During the drawing portion the

teacher interacts one-on-one with each child to understand why they have chosen their

mental images, and helps guide them if they are off-track.

26


Text: Rylant, Cynthia. (1991). Night in the Country. NY: Aladdin Books.

Lesson Written By: Ashley Blondin

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:

• The purpose of this lesson is to teach

students how to create vivid mental

images while reading and listening

to text.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to connect

personally to a text and extend the

story with their own sentences

• Students will be able to dramatize

the story using classroom instruments

• Students will be able to extend a text

to consider an alternate perspective

Pre-requisite Knowledge:

• Students will have experience playing all of the classroom instruments

• Students will be familiar with concept of perspective

• Students will have read “Night in the Country” already

NYS Standards Addressed:

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and

expression

• Dramatization

• Use own perspective to comprehend text

Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen and speak for critical analysis and evaluation

• Predict what could happen next – where story could go

Materials Needed:

• Text – Rylant, Cynthia. (1991). Night in the Country. NY: Aladdin Books.

• Selection of Orff & Percussion Instruments (xylophones, glocks, woodblocks,

Chimes, triangle, bass bar, hand drum, etc)


Procedure:

1. Gather students around easel

2. Ask students to remember as many sounds from Night in the Country as they

can. Teacher will write down responses.

27

3. Reread the story to the class and tell them to raise their hands when they hear

a sound described. Stop and write down the sounds as they appear in text

4. Tell the class that authors sometimes write about things that are around them.

These sounds were around the author. Ask the students to brainstorm

additional sounds that they sometimes hear at night (This will serve as a

model for step #6)

5. As the students give responses, refer to descriptive text and ask class to come

up with descriptive words for the sounds.

6. Tell the students that just like descriptive words and pictures, sounds can help

a reader visualize a story as well. Go through the list of sounds on the easel

and ask groups of two students to come up with a sound/action for one of the

phrases and to create one of their own. Instruments or body percussion can be

used.

7. Each group will write down their sentence/sound and create/practice their

physical sounds. They will work in their groups for ten minutes or so.

8. The group will come back together for a final performance of the story.

Teacher will read the first page and the group of two will perform the sound

and then perform their original sentence. This will continue until the end of

the story.

9. When performance is over, refer to last page (“Then they will spend a day in

the country listening to you”)

10. Ask class what they think this line means? It isn’t like the rest of the pages. It

doesn’t describe a sound. It doesn’t even talk about the night. Who are ‘they’?

11. Discuss the author’s intention to imply an alternate perspective. We listen to

sounds at night while we are sleeping, but we make a lot of noises during the

day when we are awake.

12. Ask the students to brainstorm some of the sounds we make that the animals

would listen to. What would they sound like? How does this change the story?

What are some other texts we’ve read that have been from someone else’s

perspective.

13. Ask students to look for examples of different perspectives during their

reading. Remind them of the musical performance and ask them also to try to

write stories using descriptive words that can help their readers “hear” or

“see” their story without sounds or pictures.

Assignments:

Students will find examples of texts with multiple perspectives.

Students will complete the following story in their journals:

Last night I heard the sounds of night all around me. I heard __________.

The other animals heard me ________.

Assessment:

1. Teacher listens to students brainstorming during text extension and

brainstorming.

2. Teacher will observe final dramatization

28

3. Teacher will conference independently with students during writing and

reading workshops to gage understanding of perspective. Evidence will

also appear in individual writing journals.

Accommodations:

• Brainstorm is long enough for most students to contribute at least one

thought. Teacher will observe participation and can spend more one-on-

one conference time if necessary during writing/reading workshops. Since

there is no right or wrong answer for creation of sounds, students will be

encouraged to get as descriptive as they want without fear of failure.

During the perspective part of the lesson, teacher will be able to listen to

individual comments/questions to gage class understanding and stretch out

explanations in different ways.

29


Text: Kilborne, Sarah. (1998). Peach and Blue. NY: Dragonfly Books.

Lesson Written By: Joanna Becker

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2

GOAL: The purpose of this lesson is to

teach students how to create vivid mental

images while reading and listening to text.

Mental images are useful because they help

with reading comprehension by immersing

the reader in the text. In addition, mental

imagery helps young writers to use more

description in their own writing.

OBJECTIVES:

1. While actively reading or listening to

text, students will create and become aware of their own mental images.

2. Students will be able to define mental imagery. Students will understand the

value of mental images for their own reading and writing skills.

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS ADDRESSED: Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding

• Students will use mental imagery to gain greater understanding of the text

and form their own unique interpretations. Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression

• Students will discuss and create art work based on the mental images that

come to them from reading and listening to the text. Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction

• Students will work both in small and large groups to discuss both their

interpretations of the text and their mental images.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: The students will need to be comfortable

competent working in groups and have a basic understanding of schema.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

1. Text: Kilborne, Sarah. (1998). Peach and Blue. NY: Dragonfly Books

2. Every student will need their own copy of the excerpted text and a mental

image worksheet.

3. Supply of colored pencils or markers.

4. Optional: Other art supplies, such as felt, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, dried

noodles, or cinnamon sticks.

30

PROCEDURES:

1. Teacher introduces lesson by helping students discover what they already

know about mental images and come up with a working definition. The

teacher can point out similarities between mental images and schema. (10

min.)

2. Teacher introduces the excerpt as being from Peach & Blue and asks the

students to close their eyes and listen to her read the passage. The teacher

asks the students to pay attention to the mental images that pop up in their

imaginations during the reading. (5 min.)

3. Each student then gets their own copy of the excerpt. The teacher models her

mental imaging skills by giving the students a personal example and then asks

students what kind of images came to their minds. (10 min.)

4. After getting responses from a few students, the teacher rereads the passage

again. Students can either follow the text or close their eyes again. (5 min.)

5. The teacher groups the students in sets of four and gives every child a mental

image worksheet. The teacher explains that the students will be writing down

a sentence or two about their mental image and then creating a picture of what

they saw in their imaginations. The students are encouraged to talk to each

other about their mental images and see if there are any similarities or

differences. (20 min.)

6. Once students finish working in small groups, they come back together and

have a class wide conversation about all the different mental images. The

teacher will help the students to discover why all of the mental images are a

little different and point out how mental images helped them to understand the

details of the story. The teacher can ask the students to pick out which words

gave them the strongest mental images and then discuss how they can use

similar words in their own writing. The words that evoke the best mental

imagery are recorded either onto a word chart or writing journal.

7. (Optional): The end of this lesson can be used to transition into a writing

lesson that focuses on descriptive word use, with the goal of giving the reader

a strong mental image.

ADAPTATIONS: This lesson already accommodates auditory and visual learners by

allowing students to listen, read, and draw to develop mental images. If students do not

seem to be grasping the concept of mental imagery, the teacher can spend more time

modeling her own mental imagery skills or utilize a reader’s theater lesson.

ASSIGNMENTS: The teacher can send home a second mental image worksheet along

with a letter of explanation to parents and ask the students to do a similar activity using a

story read by a parent or sibling.

ASSESSMENT: The first way the teacher can assess students is by noticing if they are

actively and appropriately participating in a conversation about mental imagery. A quick

assessment tool used by Debbie Miller is to have the students give silent thumbs up when

a mental image pops into their minds. During the group work, the teacher can circulate

the room and listen to the students’ conversation and assess progress. Aside from the

31

class discussions, the teacher can assess the students’ understanding by looking at their

work sheets, reading the students’ responses and viewing their pictures.

Excerpt from Peach & Blue by Sarah S. Kilborne

Peach began,

“The green of the moss,

Of the reeds, of the grass,

the red of my skull, of the lady bug’s back,

the blue of your belly, of afternoon’s sky,

the brown of the bank, of the eider duck’s eye.

The white of the swans, of the kingfisher’s eggs,

the cream of cocoons, of the whippoorwill’s legs,

the silver of trout, of the damselfly’s wings-

the beautiful colors of beautiful things!”

“You never told me about them!” said Peach.

“I never saw them before,’ said Blue.

32

My Mental Images

Name:____________________

Some words that helped me imagine a clear picture of what happened in the

story are: ________________ _________________ _______________

Draw a picture of what you saw in your imagination as you listened to the

story.

Describe what is going on in your mental image.

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

33

Creating Mental Images and Activating Schema/Making Connections

Text: Pritchett, Dylan. (2006). The First Music. Illustrated by Erin Bennett Banks.

Atlanta, GA: August House Publishers, Inc.

Lesson Written By: Roni Blaustein

Intended Audience:

• Grade 1 (end of year)

• Grade 2

Goal:

The goal of this lesson is to enhance

students’ abilities to make text-to-self and

text-to-world connections. Students will also create

vivid mental images as they read, listen to, and

reenact parts of the story. This will enable them to

better understand the theme of the text as well as how the theme is relevant to their lives

in the real world.

Objectives:

• Students will create vivid mental images of the story in order to help them to

better understand the theme of the story.

• Students will make text-to-self connections with the story.

• Students will make text-to-world connections with the story.

Pre-Requisite Knowledge:

• Students will have read The First Music already in class.

• Students will be familiar with all of the animals described in The First Music

• Students will be familiar with the concept of schema.

NYS ELA Standards Addressed:

Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

• Students will create mental images to better understand text.

Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and

expression.

• Students will make text-to-self connections.

• Students will make text-to-world connections.

Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.

• Students will share reading experiences in order to build relationships with peers

and adults.

• Students will offer feedback to peers in order to assist them with the assignment.

• Students will receive feedback from peers and Teacher in order to enhance their

understanding of the text, the subject matter, and the assignment.

34

Materials Needed:

• Text: Text: Pritchett, Dylan. (2006). The First Music. Illustrated by Erin Bennett

Banks. Atlanta, GA: August House Publishers, Inc.

• Easel with Tablet Chart and markers.

• Pre-printed cards, one for each student in the class, with the names of the animals

described in The First Music and a bin to hold the pre-printed cards.

• A bell.

Procedure:

Total Time: approximately 90 minutes

Mini-Lesson: 20 minutes (includes group activity)

Response and Conference Time: 45 minutes

Sharing Time: 15-20 minutes

1. Teacher will have read The First Music to the class on the previous day

and talked briefly with the students about what they think the story is

about.

2. To begin Readers’ Workshop, Teacher will tell the students they are going

to make a chart of all of the sounds made by the animals in this story. The

chart will have two columns, labeled, “Animal,” and “Sound.”

3. Teacher tells the students she will reread the story and when they come to

a sound that one of the animals makes, they should raise their hand. As

Teacher rereads the story, she works with the students to fill in the sounds

of the animals on the chart.

4. When the chart is complete, Teacher tells the students they are going to

reenact the sounds of the African forest in The First Music.

5. Teacher passes a bin filled with the preprinted animal cards around and

each student picks a card. Teacher tells the students they are going to meet

in groups with other students for five minutes. Teacher tells the students,

they should discuss the sound that their animal makes as it is described in

The First Music and they should practice making the sound.

6. After Teacher has distributed the cards, she asks the students to meet with

those with like animal cards for five minutes. After five minutes, Teacher

asks the students to rejoin the circle.

7. Teacher asks the students to wait until she has pointed to the animal they

have been assigned and when she does so, they should make that sound.

Teacher reviews the chart and accompanying sounds with the students.

8. Teacher tells the students they are going to try to recreate the sounds of the

African forest. Teacher shows the students the cue for start and stop (two

hands at shoulder level is the cue to start and lowering hands is the cue to

stop). Teacher tells them that when she cues them, they should each make

their animal sounds and when she cues them again, they should stop.

Teacher cues the students and students make their sounds. Teacher cues

them again and they stop.

9. Teacher tells them she now wants them to make a mental picture in their

heads of the African forest. She tells them that she wants them to close

35

their eyes and when she rings the bell, they should all make their sounds,

but they should also be listening and thinking about what the African

forest might look like with all of these sounds. Teacher reminds them that

when they hear the bell again, they should stop. Teacher rings the bell and

reminds the students to close their eyes and make their mental pictures.

Teacher rings the bell again and they stop.

10. Teacher talks with the students about how beautiful it sounds with all of

the animals making their own sounds. Teacher tells them about what she

envisioned in her mental picture.

11. Teacher now tells the students that instead of making all of the different

sounds, she would like them all to make the sound of the frogs. Teacher

asks them to close their eyes and make a mental picture as they all make

the frog sounds. Teacher rings the bell and reminds the students to close

their eyes. Students make frog sounds. Teacher rings the bell again and the

students stop.

12. Teacher asks the students about what they just saw in their mental picture.

Teacher tells them that she saw only frogs in her mental picture. Teacher

talks about how the various animal sounds helped her to form a more full

and lively picture of the African forest.

13. Teacher tells students that part of what makes the African forest so

beautiful is all of the different plants and animals and the sounds of all of

the different animals. Teacher guides them in connecting this story and

this concept to life. Teacher tells the students how dull the world would be

if everyone in it were the same.

14. Teacher tells students that she thinks this class is kind of like the African

forest because everyone in the class brings something special and beautiful

to the class. Teacher asks the students to think about what each of them

brings to the class that is special. It could be a talent that they share with

others, a language, an interest or something special about their

background, family or appearance. Teacher reminds them that they will

need to use their schema in order to think of what their specialty or

contribution is.

15. Teacher asks them to go back to their seats and draw a picture of the

special thing each of them brings to the class. Teacher tells them to write

one to three sentences beneath the picture that describe their special and

beautiful contribution to the class.

16. Teacher tells the class that they will have 45 minutes to complete their

work. Teacher tells them that at the end of that time, they will gather back

in a circle and share their pictures and what makes them special with the

class.

17. Teacher invites the students to go to their seats and begin their work.

Teacher tells the students that they may talk about their ideas with their

neighbor for a few minutes if they need some help with their ideas.

18. At the end of the 45 minutes, Teacher asks the students to gather in the

reading area again. Teacher gives each student a chance to share their

pictures and their thoughts with the rest of the class.

36

19. At the conclusion of the sharing time, Teacher tells the students how

beautiful this class is because of all of the unique things they each

contribute to the class. Teacher tells them that each of them will also bring

these things to the world as they grow and that will make the world a

much more beautiful place.

20. (Optional) Teacher tells the students that for tomorrow, she would like

them to think about a character in a book they are reading or have recently

read. Teacher tells them she would like them to write a paragraph or two

about something special that their chosen character contributes to their

family, their school or the world. Teacher tells the students they will share

their papers with each other tomorrow. (This provides a lesson in text-to-

text connections).

21. (Optional) After school, Teacher can display students’ work from the

Readers’ Workshop on a bulletin board or group them together to make a

class book that can be passed around to the students’ families. In the

alternative, Teacher can tape/staple students’ work together to form the

students’ “First Quilt,” based on The First Music.

Assignments:

• During Readers’ Workshop, students will draw a picture of themselves and the

special thing that they contribute to the classroom. Students will also write one to

three sentences about their special contribution.

• For homework, students will choose a character from a book they are reading or

have read. Students will write one to two paragraphs about the special thing their

chosen character contributes to their family, their school or the world.

Assessment:

• Teacher will circulate the room while the students are working on their

assignment. Teacher will talk to them about what they think makes them special

(text-to-self connections). Teacher will talk to them about how they contribute to

their family, class, and/or the world.

• Teacher will provide support and guidance for students having trouble thinking of

their contribution.

• Teacher will listen to conversations between students to gauge their thought

processes and how well they relate their experiences to the assignment (activating

their schema).

• Teacher will listen to conversations between students in order to gauge how well

they express their ideas and opinions with their peers.

• Teacher will have individual conferences with students in order to gauge how

well they understand the story and the assignment. Teacher will use this time to

assess how students connect the theme of the text to their individual contributions

and how this affects the world (text-to-world).

Accommodations:

• Teacher can provide support, guidance and encouragement to students who may

have difficulty thinking of their contribution. Teacher may use specific examples

37

of things she has observed the student do in order to help him or her see this as a

talent or contribution.

• If a student is experiencing difficulty with the assignment, based on cultural or

background differences, Teacher may cue him or her that these differences are

one way that he or she makes an important contribution.

• If it is clear that a student does not understand the theme of the story, Teacher can

suggest other books that carry the same message. Some examples of these books

are:

Being Me, by Julie Broski and Vincent Vigla

Giraffes Can’t Dance, by Giles Andreae

Oliver Button is a Sissy, by Tomie dePaola

Stellaluna, by Janell Cannon

Yolanda Baby, by Jo Ann Bennett-Bottinghouse

38


Text: Bryant, J. (2005). Georgia’s Bones. Illustrated by B. Andersen. MI: Eerdmans

Books.

Lesson Written By: Stacey Cleary

Intended Audience:

• Grade 2

Goal: Students will develop a deeper understanding

of text by creating mental images.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to make clear metal images

during reading.

• Students will use mental images to better

comprehend text.

• Students will be able to recall details from text using these images.

• Students will be able to use these skills in their own writing.

NY State ELA standards:

Standard 1: Information and understanding.

• Students will be making observations and responses to the text

• Students will listen for understanding

Standard 2: Literary response and expression

• Students will discuss and create art work based on the mental images that come

to them from reading and listening to text.

Standard 4: Social Interaction

• Students will work in groups to discuss both their interpretations of the text and

their mental images.


• Students will know how to use signals to visually cue the teacher during read-

aloud.

• Students will use their schema to discuss mental images.

Materials Needed:

• Text: Bryant, John. Illus: Andersen, Bethanne. (2005). Georgia’s Bones. MI:

Eerdmans Books

• Blue construction paper, chalk, white pencils, and crayons

• Copies of poems to take home

• Handout for take home practice

Procedures:

1. Gather the students in the reading corner.

39

2. Review comprehension strategies with the children and introduce them to

the idea of making mental images to help better understand a text. Explain

that creating mental images helps the reader to understand and remember

text.

3. Provide an example of creating a mental image by having the students get

comfortable and close their eyes. Tell them to make a picture in their

minds of playing on a sunny day at the playground.

4. Ask the children to raise their hands when they have a mental image. Call

on several students to describe what they “saw” to demonstrate a mental

image. Ask the children what they notice about the mental images. Were

there differences in what each child was doing at the playground in their

mental image? Were they playing on different equipment, such as one

swinging on a swing and another going down a slide?

5. Tell the children that now you are going to read a book to them. Ask the

children to close their eyes again. Begin to read aloud the text, and on the

second page pause to ask the children if they can “see” Georgia on her

farm. Ask them what is she holding? Have the children open their eyes

and listen to their responses.

6. Continue reading and pause on the page where the New Mexico sky is

described. Ask the children to create a mental image of the following, “

The sky was the sea-

huge and blue- the clouds were waves-

light and foamy- rolling slowly across it,

No two looked the same.

Ask the children to turn and talk with a partner, describing their mental

images of this. Ask the children to volunteer to say what their partner

saw.

7. Finish reading the book.

8. Tell the students that you are going to reread a section of the story to them

and that they should focus their minds on creating a mental image. Once

the section is read and they have the image in their heads they will go to

the tables and draw their images.

9. Remind the children that Georgia O’Keefe was studying the clouds. Have

them close their eyes. Read the section,

Georgia studied their shapes,

the puffed-up ones thick as snow banks,

the wispy ones that swirled over the Spanish church

as if someone had painted them there

with a milk-dipped feather.

10. Now ask the children if they have a mental image. Tell them you will

reread it and see if their mental images change. Did anyone’s mental

image change? How?

11. Ask them to go back to their tables where they will find blue paper, chalk,

white pencils and crayons. They should draw their mental images as you

reread this selection of text.

40

12. Observe the children to see how they make their drawings. Ask children

about their images as you walk around the room. Listen for the children to

make a connection to the words in the text. Focus on students who may be

struggling.

13. After 15 minutes ask the children to come to circle with their pictures.

14. Go around the circle and allow each child to share their picture. Ask them

questions about their pictures.

15. Read the book again and show the children how the illustrator chose to

draw her mental images.

16. For the final procedure of reading workshop, the students will choose one

of four poems that you read aloud to them. Ask the children to listen to a

tape of the poem. The children should close their eyes just like they did

today. Next they should draw their mental image from the poem on the

page provided to share at the end of the workshop. Ask the children to

write the title of the poem on their papers. They can also give a title to

their drawings and give a description. Children will be regrouped with

other children who have chosen the same poem to share their metal images

and discuss what they have learned.

Assessment:

The teacher should walk around the room while the children are drawing and ask them

about their pictures. The children should be able to explain their mental image. The

teacher should ask them to connect the words in the texts with the image the child has

conjured. The teacher should also ask the children questions such as why they choose

certain shapes, colors, and forms. The teacher will discuss with the children the drawings

they bring from home.

Accommodations:

While the children are drawing their mental images, the teacher should seek-out children

who may struggle. Discuss the concept of mental image with them one-on-one and guide

them towards an image they can visualize. Help them to begin their drawing of this

image by suggesting specific ways they can approach their drawing using shapes, colors,

and composition.

41

Mental Image Project

Name:______________

Title of the poem:_____________________________________

Draw a mental image from the poem below:

Title of Drawing:_____________________________________________

Description of drawing:________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

42

Poems to choose from for class work.

Ducks on a Winter Night

Ducks asleep

on the banks of the pond

tuck their bills

into feathery quills,

making their own beds

to keep warm in.

Icicles

Icicles drip

in the morning light,

and freeze

in the darkness

of the night

Icicles scream

as if they were talking

to the wind.

Leaves

The leaves

tiptoe to the ground

with only a soft, gentle sound.

We hear the leaves go

crinkle, crackle,

crunch, crunch

under our feet.

We rake them into a mountain

of red, orange,

yellow, brown and purple.

The leaves

tiptoe to the ground

with only a soft, gentle sound.

43

Dolphins

Dolphins dive

into the ocean.

Flippity Flop!

Splishity splash!

Dolphins never stop.

Twisting, twirling

in the shining sunlight,

all day long.

44


Text: Shange, Ntozake. (2004). Ellington Was Not a Street. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson.

NY: Simon & Schuster.

Lesson Written by: Mary Carroll

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2

GOAL: The purpose of this lesson is to teach

students how to create mental images and

memories while reading and listening to text.

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will be able to create their own mental

images while listening to a text, thereby creating

a text-to-self connection.

2. Students will understand that making these

connections enables them to better understand and appreciate a text.


Standard 1

• Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and

understanding.

• Students will use mental imagery to gain greater understanding of the text

and form their own unique interpretations.

Standard 2:

• Students will read, write, listen and speak for literary response and

expression.

Standard 4:

• Students will read, write, listen and speak for social interaction.

• Students will work both in small and large groups to discuss both their

interpretations of the text and their mental images.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Students will be comfortable sharing their thoughts

and feelings about a text through “eye-to-eye-and knee-to-knee” exchanges.

MATERIALS NEEDED: Text: Shange, Ntozake. (2004). Ellington Was Not a Street.

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. NY: Simon & Schuster.

PROCEDURES:

1. After gathering children on the rug, teacher holds up the book, Ellington Was

Not a Street, and explains it’s a poem based on one little girl’s memories of

growing up in warm and loving African-American household during the Harlem

Renaissance.

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2. Teacher briefly explains what Harlem Renaissance was all about; discusses

some of the names of famous people mentioned in the book and their important

contributions to American arts, literature, civil rights, politics and music.

Teacher writes name of each personality on board or easel as she identifies

them.

3. Teacher prompts class to look at the cover of the book; the expression on the

girl’s face (thoughtful, but not sad), the big black round thing she’s holding (a

78rpm recording of “Mood Indigo” played by Duke Ellington.) Teacher asks

children to try to infer what the “mood” of the book will be from that one

illustration.

4. Teacher reads text once, and leads class in trying to infer meaning of difficult

words: collards, slick, rag-tag orphans, crooners, foreigner.

5. Teacher explains to the children that now that they have arrived at one

(somewhat superficial) understanding of the text, they are going to dig a little

deeper by opening themselves to the mental images the poem evokes in their

own lives.

6. The text is short, and the teacher reads the book again, stopping at the line “I

remember I was there I listened in the company of men.” Teacher models her

own thinking, explaining the way she connects the text to her own personal

memories of growing up in a house full of older brothers and their friends.

7. Teacher asks the children if any of them have any memories of being in a house

when guests are there. How are the conversations different than those that take

place among family members only? How does the mood of the house change?

8. Teacher finishes the book, and then explains that reading this book reminds her

of warm memories of when she was growing up, giving them a few examples of

getting to pass appetizers at her parents’ parties and so forth.

9. Teacher explains that this is really a book about memories, and that the text can

help us pull up mental images of memories of our own.

10. Teacher has the children all close their eyes, while she reads the (thankfully

short) book a third time, asking them to remember some of the mental images

and memories that pop into their heads.

11. Teacher asks the children to open their eyes, and turn to a partner to discuss the

mental images or memories they’d each had.

12. Reconvene on the rug, and share memories evoked by the text. Tie up lesson

with explanation of the way someone else’s story (text) can evoke mental

images or memories for the reader that make the book more meaningful and

powerful.

ADAPTATIONS: This is a story that depicts not only a warm family environment, but

one in which the father plays an important part. Teacher will want to tailor her

discussion about the book to specific circumstances of children in the class. For example,

if teacher knows there is a child with no father in household, she can make clear that this

is a book about memories of family life, and mothers, aunts, and grandparents can also be

a source as well as an inspiration for those memories.

46

ASSIGNMENTS: Have child go home and ask a parent or older sibling to help provide

a family memory that involves the child. Have child write this memory down to share

with class the next day.

ASSESSMENT: Teacher can determine how solid a grasp students have on concept by

• Noting responses from children during reading of text.

• Listening to children as they share their mental images and memories with a

partner: Are they memories of their own lives? Are they memories that involve

their own families?

• Thinking about and then discussing the family memories that students bring in

from home as part of assignment: Again, do these stories/memories involve the

child with his/her family?

47


Text: Johnson, Angela. (2007). Lily Brown’s Paintings. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis. NY: Orchard

Books.

Lesson Written By: Meghan Zandoli

GOAL: Students will develop a deeper meaning and

appreciation of the text by creating mental images. It

will teach children to use their imaginations while

reading text, in order to deepen their comprehension.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

Grade 1, Reading

OBJECTIVES:

1. Students will learn how to create mental images while

reading text. They will become aware of their own mental images and

how they can use them to expand their comprehension of a text.

2. Students will have a clear definition of what mental imagery is and will understand the

importance of using it in their reading and writing skills.


Students have learned to make appropriate book selections for assignments and lessons. They are

also used to rereading text for clues and must have a good understanding of schema and

comprehension.


NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and

understanding.

NY State ELA Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literacy response and

expression.

-Students will discuss in groups and as a class the mental images that they create from reading

and listening to the text.

NY State ELA Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

-Students will work in large (as a class) and small groups to discuss their own individual

meaning of the text and the mental images that they have created.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Johnson, Angela. (2007). Lily Brown’s Paintings. Illustrated by E.B. Lewis.

NY: Orchard Books.


• Student’s self-selected texts

• Large post-its

48

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather children on the rug by the easel.

2. Have this chart ready for the students.

We can use mental images to create deeper meaning of text

Our Mental Images Clues in the text that

allow to create these

mental images

What we learned

from the text

3. Review what schema is with students and how we use schema in our reading. Tell

students that good readers make mental images of the text that they are reading to help

them to understand the text better and make it more meaningful. (Refer to previous

anchor chart if helpful).

4. Introduce the text that will be read aloud to the class by saying, “Today class we are

going to read Lily Brown’s Paintings by Angela Johnson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis.”

5. Let students know that the text will be read to them without them being able to see the

illustrations. I will explain that they have to use their imagination and minds to create

mental images of the text since they do not have pictures in front of them to help them to

know what is happening in the story. For example: I might say, “Class you know when

dreams create funny pictures in your head when you are sleeping or you use your

thoughts to draw pictures in class? That’s what I want you to do here.” Assure them that

they will be able to see the actual illustrations in the book later.

6. Give large post-its to students so that when cued they can come to the easel and draw the

mental images that they have created on the post-it.

7. Begin reading aloud the book to the class, occasionally stopping at certain points when it

is important for children to have made mental images. Model first and then choose

students to come to the easel to draw a mental image that they may have created from

what they have heard of the book so far.

8. Then write the mental image that they have drawn in words in the appropriate space on

the chart (Our mental images). Then ask that student what in the text made them create

that mental image and write it in the space that says (What we learned from the text).

9. Continue reading aloud to the class until the end of the book asking questions about

mental images along the way such as; “Class…In the book it says ‘All the universe is one

big colorful splash. The stars circle the planets in Lily Brown’s paintings.’ Close your

eyes for a few minutes and think of what this description may look like to you. Now open

your eyes and take a few minutes to draw it on your large post-its.

10. Now review children’s drawings of this mental image and other mental images that may

have had of the text as well as what in the text lead them to create that mental image.

49

11. After discussing children’s own mental images, reread the text this time allowing the

children to see the illustrations.

12. Have students tell what they learned from the text after being able to see the drawings

and if their mental images changed after rereading the text.

13. Record what children have learned from the text in the appropriate place on the chart so it

is easier for the whole class to see.

EXTENSION:

In class, students will break into groups of three. Together they will pick a self-selected text

to analyze and practice making mental images about. They will discuss with their group and

then after fifteen to twenty minutes will regroup with the class to review findings. The

teacher will chart students’ findings.

ASSESSMENT:

During group work the teacher, will review the children’s mental images that they create.

1. Teacher observes children in their groups while creating mental images and asks why

they created that mental image. “What clues in the book lead you to make that mental

images? Did the pictures help you? Did you use your schema, outside sources, the

words/description that the author uses in the text?

2. Also, through the work as a group the teacher can assess whether students understand

what a mental image is, how to create one, and how it may help a reader to

comprehend.

ACCOMODATIONS:

1. Teacher observes children in their small groups to make sure they understand the

lesson and to support them as needed

2. Teacher allows sufficient wait time so that children can think when asked questions

during the lesson and when explaining their mental images.

3. Teacher guides reading of text and students’ creation of mental images in small group

settings, especially with those individual children that may need extra help.

50


Text: Ray, Mary Lyn. (2001). Mud. San Diego, CA: Voyager.

Lesson Written By: Heather DeBlasio

GOAL: The intended purpose in this lesson is to teach

students what onomatopoeia is, and how to recognize it

when looking a text, as well as how to create a visual

image of what that word sounds like.

INTENDED AUDIENCE: 1st Grade (Early Spring)

OBJECTIVES:

Students will learn what onomatopoeia is, and be able to recognize it

when given a specific text. In particular, students will choose

onomatopoeia out of a text, and illustrate what these words sound like to them. Using this visual

image will help the students understand how onomatopoeic writing is very descriptive.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Students will need to have an overall knowledge of what

certain words might sound like and where they come from. An introduction will be given on the

different sounds that certain objects make, and, that it is called onomatopoeia. Also Mud by

Mary Ray would have been already read to illustrate the onomatopoeia in this work.

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS:

NY State ELA Standard 1:Language for Information and Understanding: Students will listen,

speak, read, and write for information and understanding.

NY State ELA Standard 2: Language for Literary Response and Expression: Students will read

and listen to oral, written, and electronically produced texts and performances from American

and world literature; relate texts and performances to their own lives; and develop an

understanding of the diverse social, historical, and cultural dimensions the texts and

performances represent.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Ray, Mary, Lyn. (2001). Mud. San Diego, CA: Voyager Books.

• Construction paper

• Markers, colored pencils, crayons

PROCEDURES:

1. With the children seated at their desks, start by naming some onomatopoeic

words, and see if they can guess what is common about all of them. Some

onomatopoeic words are:

Bang Clap

Beep Zoom

Snap Hiss

Chirp Roar

Quack

Splash

2. Explain that onomatopoeia means, “name making” and it is because the

meanings of these words are made by sounds.

3. Another way to introduce onomatopoeia is to have the children sing the

song, Old MacDonald, and explain that the sounds that the animals make

are examples of onomatopoeia. (song attached)

4. Introduce the text, but just by telling the children the title, and not showing

them the text.

5. Tell the children to close their eyes, while the book is read aloud, and try

to picture what is happening in the story.

6. After the book is read aloud, tell the children to open their eyes, and tell

their neighbor what they saw, while the story was being read.

7. Now discuss as a large group what the students saw in their mind while

you were reading the text aloud.

8. Use the example of a child splashing into water, in order to give the

students an image of an onomatopoeic sound.

9. Tell them that the onomatopoeia is in the word splash, and they can create

a picture in their minds about onomatopoeic sounds.

10. Now tell the students that this is similar to the sound that mud would

make, if a person were to splash in the mud.

11. See if the students can pick out the place in the book where onomatopoeia

is being used with mud. Students should pick out the various words the

book uses to describe the sounds that mud makes.

12. After the word splash was discussed, both with water and mud, allow the

children to try and draw what they see when they think of the word splash

looks like. They have been given the example of a child splashing into

water, as well something splashing into mud.

13. The students can use crayons and markers, and draw something that has to

do with mud on construction paper. It should be an idea they got while

listening to the story, and from the examples given to them.

14. After the illustrations are complete, allow the children to get into groups

of two or three, and share the illustrations with each other. Prompt them

to discuss what their picture is about, and why they chose to draw that

particular picture to depict mud. This should last about five to ten minutes

depending on the size of the group.

15. After the students are finished discussing in their groups of two or three,

gather the class together to discuss onomatopoeia as a class. Start by

asking the students what onomatopoeia is.

16. Next, ask the students to give some examples of onomatopoeia, which are

not in the book, and describe where the sound comes from. For example,

“beep” is the sound a car horn makes.

17. Explain to the students that onomatopoeia is something that they use

regularly. The students should understand that the way a word sounds,

influences the way that people judge each other. Explain to the students

that there are certain ways to pronounce words, and if words are not

pronounced correctly, others will not understand you.

52

18. Then allow the students, if they want to do so, to come in front of the

room, one at a time, and share the pictures that they drew about the

onomatopoeic words.

19. End the class by rereading the text, this time allowing the students to keep

their eyes open and look at the pictures.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• At home, children should choose a word that depicts onomatopoeia from the

environment around them. For example, the students could choose the word

“clap” or “zoom.” Students should then draw what they think this word would

look like if illustrated. For example the word “zoom” could be illustrated by

drawing a car, or airplane, and showing that it makes the “zoom” sound.

• Students could also choose a book from home, that depicts onomatopoeia and

mental images, and illustrate one of these.

ASSESSMENT:

1. The teacher will observe the students while the book is being read, to see

if the students pay attention and are trying to “see” the book. The teacher

will prompt the students will questions while reading the book, such as,

“Boys and girls, is there a picture that is being created from this part of the

story?” Instead of reading the entire book and then asking this questions,

the teacher should ask this as they are reading the book.

2. The teacher will go around to each pair quickly to see if the images that

were created by the students are relevant to the text, based on the

classroom discussion and the information heard in the story. If not the

teacher will guide them in the right direction. The teacher will observe if

the pictures that the students drew are relevant to mud, and the sounds that

mud would make.

3. The teacher can evaluate the homework by making sure that the word is an

onomatopoeic word found around the child’s environment, and that it is

illustrated with effort.

ACCOMODATIONS: If students cannot picture anything while the teacher is reading

the book aloud, allow the student to open their eyes and look at the cover of the book to

have an idea of what the book is about. Read the story to the “disabled” students in

smaller groups, and prompt their mental images. For example, explain the certain sounds

that mud would make, and show the children the pictures, before allowing them to

illustrate their visual.

Old MacDonald

Old MacDonald had a farm, ee-eye, ee-eye oh

And on that farm he had a duck, ee-eye, ee-eye oh

With a quack, quack here and a quack, quack there

Here a quack, there a quack

Everywhere a quack, quack


53


And on that farm he had a cow, ee-eye, ee-eye oh

With a moo, moo here and a moo, moo there

Here a moo, there a moo

Everywhere a moo, moo

A quack, quack here and a quack, quack there





And on that farm he had a dog, ee-eye, ee-eye oh

With a woof, woof here and a woof, woof there

Here a woof, there a woof

Everywhere a woof, woof

A moo, moo here and a moo, moo there








And on that farm he had a pig, ee-eye, ee-eye oh

With an oink, oink here and an oink, oink there

Here an oink, there an oink

Everywhere an oink, oink

A woof, woof here and a woof, woof there

Here a woof, there a woof

Everywhere a woof, woof

A moo, moo here and a moo, moo there







54


Text: Text: Aragon, J. C. (1989). Salt Hands. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York:

Puffin Unicorn Books.

Lesson Written By: Meghan Winslow

Intended Audience: 1st Grade

Goal: This lesson is designed to teach students

how to visualize and create mental images while

reading and listening to text.

Objectives:

• Students will be able to create mental pictures

when listening to or reading a text

• Students will be able to create mental pictures after

listening to or reading a text

• Students will understand that creating mental pictures from

texts will help them better understand the text

• Students will use images to draw conclusions, create interpretations, and recall a

text after it has been read

• Students will use mental images when trying to create images in their own writing

New York State Learning Standards Addressed:

• ELA Standard 1:

o Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and

understanding

• ELA Standard 2:

o Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and

expression

o Relate texts and performances to their own lives

o Students will use oral and written language for self-expression and artistic

creation

Prerequisite Knowledge: Students will use their schema, or prior knowledge, to create

mental images of the text.

Materials Needed:

• Text: Aragon, J. C. (1989). Salt Hands. Illustrated by Ted Rand. New York:

Puffin Unicorn Books.

• My Mental Image worksheet

• A supply of colored pencils, markers, and/or crayons

Procedures:

Introduction (5-7 minutes)

55

• Tell the students to close their eyes and imagine that they are at an amusement

park. The teacher is certain all children have schema of an amusement park.

Describe the scene for them a little bit and tell them that they are in line for the

Merry-Go-Round. Ask the children to picture the scene in their minds and to

raise their hands when they have a good mental illustration of this. Call on

several students and have them describe what they saw in their minds.

• Ask the students why they think each of them had similar and different pictures of

what the scene looked like.

• Explain to the students that you are going to be reading Salt Hands, and that they

will not be looking at the illustrations, they are going to have their eyes closed

during times when you read the story. Tell the students they will be able to see

the illustrations later on.

• Explain that good readers create images in their mind as they read. Discuss how

authors use descriptive vocabulary to help readers draw pictures in their minds.

These images help readers think more deeply about the story.

Story (5-7 minutes)

• Read the story aloud to the class. Pause at certain points in the story to ask

students to share some of the mental images they are seeing, allowing them to

open their eyes. Continue reading till the end of the book, alternating to stop to

invite children to explain their images.

Independent Work (20 minutes)

• Tell the students that they are now going to be drawing pictures of their most

vivid mental image or their favorite mental image from the text.

• Students will draw their picture on the My Mental Images worksheet and write a

few sentences about their picture.

• Students are encouraged to discuss their mental images with their peers to see if

there are any similarities or differences.

• The teacher will observe students drawing their pictures, stopping to ask students

questions about their pictures. This is in order to gauge that each student

understands the concept of creating mental pictures from reading/listening and

also understands the assignment.

Share Time (10 minutes)

• Have the children share their pictures and explain them to the class. The teacher

will connect the mental image with the written text and also prompt students to

make a connection.

Closure (5 minutes)

• Re-read the book, but this time show the children the illustrations

• Allow the children to discuss the differences in their pictures versus the

illustrator’s illustrations

56

Assignments: As an extension in class, students will choose a book on their own to read.

After reading, they can fill out a My Mental Images worksheet, drawing and coloring one

of their mental images from the book.

Assessment: The teacher can assess the students’ understanding of mental images from

class discussions, independent discussions, and reviewing their pictures and responses

about their pictures. The teacher should pay close attention to how the student explains a

mental image, and ask about choice of color and form.

Adaptations: The teacher does not have to read the entire book. They may choose a

specific section to read from. The teacher may substitute another book or poem to use

with this lesson. Teachers may adapt this lesson for students with special needs. Such as

having a teacher’s aide or a fellow student assist the student with special needs.

Additionally all directions can be put into writing or onto tape.

57

Name _________________________ Date ______________________

My Mental Image from the book Salt Hands

This is my most vivid mental image:

Describe what is going on in your mental image:

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

58

Name _________________________ Date ______________________

My Mental Images

This is my mental image from the book ____________________________:

Describe what is going on in your mental image:

________________________________________________________________________

59

Asking Questions

Text: Winter, Jeanette. (2005). The Librarian of Basra: A true story from Iraq. Orlando:

Harcourt, Inc.

Lesson Written By: Corinne Berthiaume

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:

• The purpose of this lesson is to teach students

how to ask questions while reading, so as

to improve their comprehension.

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to pose questions to

further their understanding of the text.

• They will be able use previously taught

strategies such as inferring, rereading text, considering their

background knowledge or using other sources to find

answer to their questions.


• NYS ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information

and understanding.

NYS reading competencies:

• Comprehend and respond to imaginative text.

• Use comprehension strategies to clarify meaning of text.

• Work cooperatively with peers to comprehend text.


• Use own perspective and opinions to comprehend text.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

• Children have already had practice in the problem solving strategies to be used

like inferring, rereading and use of schema.

• Children also have leaned to make appropriate book selections.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Winter, Jeanette. (2005). The Librarian of Basra: A true story from Iraq.

Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

• Easel with chart paper and markers.

• Children selected books from the class library.

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather the children

60

2. Remind children that readers ask questions before reading a book, while they are

reading and after.

3. Explain that we will read this book and that as questions come up, we will record

them on the chart. Their job is to listen to the story and raise their hand when

they have a question. I will add their question on the chart.

4. Explain that after we read the story once, we will see if we can answer some of

the questions by rereading, by inferring or by using our schema. We will also

think about other sources we might be able to use to answer some of our questions

5. Introduce the book, explaining that this is a true story about a librarian in a city

called Basra. Does anybody have questions so far?

6. Read the story slowly, stopping when a child has a question and note the question

on the chart.

7. At the end of the story, ask the children if they have any questions they would like

to add to the list.

8. Explain that we might not find answers to all the questions today but that we will

go back to the story tomorrow and that we might be able to answer more

questions then.

9. Review the questions from the chart and ask the children which they would like to

discuss first.

10. Reread the text as necessary and guide the children in their thinking. Ask the

children to turn around and discuss the question in pairs and discuss the strategy

they used to find the answer.

11. When questions are answered, note whether the answer was found by inferring

(I), from the text (T), using their schema (S) or by using other sources (OS).

12. Invite the children to select a book for independent reading or small group reading

and remind them to make a list of questions before, during and after they read and

to note the strategy they use for finding answers.

13. Observe and confer with the children as they are reading and provide guidance as

needed.

14. After 30 to 40 minutes, gather the children to the meeting area again and ask if

anybody has anything they would like to share about their reading and their

questions. If many want to share, ask them to pair up and discuss their findings

with a peer.

ASSIGNMENTS: (In class or homework)

Children practice the questioning strategy during independent reading time and are

invited to share their thoughts during sharing time of the Reading Workshop.

ASSESSMENT:

Teacher monitors participation during the mini-lesson and during the sharing time.

During the independent reading time, teacher observe and confers with the children to

note how well they are using the questioning strategy and how they go about answering

their own questions.

61

ADAPTATIONS:

To a large extent, this activity is multi-level as there is a wide range of books in the

library and the children have learned how to make appropriate book selection. As the

teacher observes and confers with individual children, she can guide and support their

reading and their problem solving.

62

Asking Questions

Text: Zolotow, Charlotte. (2002). If You Listen. Philadelphia: Running Press Book

Publishers.

Lesson Written By: Cynthia Carpentieri

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2

GOAL:


students how to ask questions while reading,

so as to improve their comprehension.

OBJECTIVE:

Students will be able to use the act of questioning before, during, and after

reading to clarify the meaning of the text. Students will learn to find the answers

to their questions through inferring, referencing the text, or through consulting

outside sources.


Students will need to have had previous experiences with inferring, activating

schema, rereading text for answers, and consulting different types of outside

sources for information.


NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for

information and understanding.


• Connect words and ideas in books to prior knowledge

• Increase background knowledge by elaborating and integrating new

vocabulary and ideas from texts.

• Read grade-level texts for different purposes

• Use comprehension strategies (predict/confirm, reread, self-correct) to

clarify meaning of text

• Work cooperatively with peers (e.g., peer pairs or small groups) to

comprehend text

• Ask questions in response to texts

• Answer simple questions (such as how? why? what if?) in response to

texts

• Use own perspectives and opinions to comprehend text

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Read aloud text: Zolotow, Charlotte. (2002). If You Listen. Philadelphia:

Running Press Book Publishers.

• White board

63

• Dry erase markers

• Students’ self-selected reading texts for reader’s workshop activity

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather the children on rug near the white board.

2. Have the attached chart written on the white board (without the questions and

solutions entered)

3. Review the three types of questioning (before, during, and after reading)

4. Review the reasons that readers ask questions (clarify meaning, locate a

specific answer in the text, speculate about text yet to be read, etc.)

5. Introduce If You Listen to the students. Explain the task to students, provide

an example of a “before reading” question, and write it on the white board.

6. Ask students if they have any “before reading” questions and record them on

the white board.

7. Begin reading If You Listen, and pause to model a “during reading” question.

8. Before continuing with the book, remind students that they should raise their

hands to ask any “during reading” questions that arise in their minds. Record

any questions on the white board.

9. Once the read aloud has concluded, model an “after reading” question, and

ask students if they have any additional questions, which would be recorded

on the white board.

10. After the questions have been written on the white board, lead the students in

an assessment of how they might go about finding solutions to their questions.

11. Explain that students can often find solutions from the text itself, through

inferring, or through consulting an outside source.

12. Review each of the questions and determine whether the answers were found

in the text, inferred, or if an outside source needs to be consulted for an

answer.

13. Fill in all solutions on the right hand side of the chart, and label them

accordingly. (see attached chart)

14. Once all solutions have been found, ask students if their understanding of the

story has been heightened due to their questioning before, during and after

reading.

15. Let students know that questioning to clarify meaning, is a technique that they

can use during their individual reading to enhance their understanding of self-

selected texts.

16. Have students keep a record of the questions and answers in a chart similar to

the one which was filled out during the read aloud.

17. Monitor students progress during their individual reading and assist them with

any problems that might occur during the questioning process

ASSIGNMENTS:

Students will practice their newly acquired questioning skills while reading during

the Reader’s Workshop portion of the comprehension lesson.

ASSESSMENT:

64

The teacher will observe and monitor students’ participation during the read

aloud/mini-lesson. Individualized assessment will occur as the teacher observes

the students’ use of questioning during the Reader’s Workshop stage.

ACCOMODATIONS

In order to insure that all students are appropriately challenged, the teacher should

constantly assess student progress and participation during the read aloud.

Providing ample time for students to reflect on the reading, before questioning

begins, and between taking questions, will help to insure that all students have

had enough time to come up with their own questions. During the Reader’s

Workshop portion of the lesson, the teacher should first be sure that students’ self-

selected texts are appropriately chosen. Lastly, the teacher should be circulating

the room, and working with each individual student to guide their newly acquired

questioning skills.

Questions Solutions

B What will we be listening for? T We will be imagining many

different sounds

B Why does the girl look so sad in the picture? T She is upset because she misses

her father

D Where is the girl’s father? I We can infer that her father

might have passed away, or has

gone on a long journey.

D What is a foghorn? OS We learned what a foghorn is by

using a dictionary

A Does the girl’s father ever come home? I We can infer different endings to

the story, depending on our own

opinions

B – Before reading T – Answers were found in the Text

D – During reading I – Answers were found through

A – After reading Inferring

A – After reading OS – Answers were found using an

Outside Source

65

Determining Importance: Non-Fiction

Text: Taylor, B. (1999). Spiders. NY: Lorenz Books.

Lesson Written By: Nancy Alderman

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:


how to determine importance in a nonfiction text.

OBJECTIVES:

Students will know how to access information

in non-fiction books. Specifically, students will

know how to use the contents page, the index

and the glossary.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: How to read.

NEW YORK STATE LEARNING STANDARDS

ADRESSED:

1. NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read,

write, listen and speak for information and understanding.

• NY State Reading Competencies:


and ideas from text.

• Work cooperatively with peers to gather information.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Taylor, B. (1999). Spiders. NY: Lorenz Books


• EYEWITNESS Books, such as INSECTS, BATS, etc. from our class library as

well as other non-fiction books that feature animals and have a contents page and

index page and perhaps, a glossary will be in baskets marked animal books.

• Paper: Charts attached

• Pencils

PROCEDURES:

1. Ask the children to sit on the rug

2. Ask them the difference between non-fiction and fiction.

3. Hold up the text SPIDERS by Barbara Taylor and ask if it’s fiction or n-f.

Then ask if it’s how-to or information.

4. Review the two types of non-fiction – how-to books and straight information.

66

Show them their how-to books that we have already written and published.

Hold up examples: “How to play game boy” and “How to make a peanut

butter sandwich.”

5. Ask why you’d use a non-fiction book.

6. Remind them that you don’t have to read n-f cover to cover. Explain that if

you don’t have much time or just need to the answer to a few questions then

there are tools that readers can use to help you find the information easily.

7. Show the contents page and explain that if a book has one, it is always at the

front of the book. Read the headings.

8. Show them that the numbers near the headings tell us on what we can find that

information.

9. Ask where we might information about what spiders eat?

10. Copy that question onto the easel with markers.

11. Ask what they are curious about spiders. Ask where they might find it

according to the contents page.

12. Record their questions and the corresponding page numbers on the easel.

(follow the model of the chart attached)

13. Look up some of the answers with them and record them on the easel.

ASSIGNMENTS:

Tell the children that they are going to work with a partner (their table mate) to

find information about a certain animal. They will use the books we have in our

class library. They can choose any animal, but they have to be sure that their book

has a contents page. Once the book is chosen, they are to be looking for

information about what their animal eats and one other thing that they would like

to know. Ask the children to go to their tables with a copy of the first handout.

(contents page). They will come back to the rug in 20 minutes to share their

information.

ASSESSMENTS:

Interact with the students as they choose their books and begin their research.

Observe individual students as they record their findings.

Observe them as they share their findings in the sharing time.

ACCOMODATIONS:

Interact with the pairs, guiding their reading and helping them to find their

information.

FUTURE LESSONS:

Use the attached charts to do similar lessons introducing the index and the

glossary.

67

NAMES _________________________ OUR ANIMAL _____________________

_____________________________

THE BOOK WE USED_____________________________________

WRITTEN BY __________________________

ILLUSTRATED BY ________________________

What we want to know Contents page numbers What we learned

68

NAMES _________________________ OUR ANIMAL _____________________

_____________________________

THE BOOK WE USED_____________________________________

WRITTEN BY __________________________

ILLUSTRATED BY ________________________

What does the glossary say this word means?

WORD MEANING

69

NAMES _________________________ OUR ANIMAL _____________________

_____________________________

THE BOOK WE USED_____________________________________

WRITTEN BY __________________________

ILLUSTRATED BY ________________________

What we want to know Index page numbers What we learned

70


Text: Stidworthy, John. (2003). Creepy Crawlies. Bath: Parragon.

Lesson Written By: Lindsey Keller

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2

GOAL:



OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to identify specific characteristics of

a non-fiction text

• Students will be able to identify differences between fiction and non-fiction


• Learning Standards for English Language Arts at Three Levels

• Standard 1: Language for Information and Understanding

• Students will read for information and understanding. As readers, students will

collect data and facts; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and

use knowledge from written texts. As writers they will use written language that

follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret,

apply, and transmit information.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: The class will have already discussed the

similarities and differences of fiction and non-fiction books. Children will already know

certain characteristics of each of these genres.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Stidworthy, John. (2003). Creepy Crawlies. Bath: Parragon.

• post it notes

• chart paper

• markers

PROCEDURES:

1. Teacher will review Venn diagram about the similarities and

differences that are in fiction and non –fiction books.

2. Teacher will then skim through the book with the class and ask the

students to note the characteristics of a non-fiction books that this

book has and make predictions.

3. On chart paper titled Non-fiction Clues in Creepy Crawlies the

teacher will write down the characteristics of non-fiction from the

Venn diagram .

71

Fiction Clues &

Characteristics

Non –Fiction

Clues in

Creepy

Crawlies

Non-Fiction

Clues &

Characteristics

4. Next have the students will give examples that the children will

determine of the characteristics and write them on post it notes and

place them next to the characteristic.

5. Then students will pick out their own book and practice these

techniques

6. Observe children while they pick their own books and aid the

students individual based on the amount of scaffolding needed.

7. After, the children will share what they have learned with their

new books with the whole class.

ADAPTATIONS: Some children with special needs may not be able to pick out these

characteristics by the selves. In this case, have the examples on the post its already, show

the example in the book to the children, then have them place this example under the

correct characteristic. For gifted students, have then add another column to the chart and

put examples from another book.

ASSIGNMENTS: Post it practice- for homework or class work, have children pick out

six books in the library and label each book with either fiction or non-fiction and one

sentence of how they knew this.

ASSESSMENT: (In class or at home) Children will be assessed based on their class

work assignment of labeling books either non-fiction or fiction and why on sticky notes.

Teacher will assess students based on the responses indicated on the sticky notes. Also,

teacher will ask children throughout the year to pick a variety of texts including fiction

and non-fiction to bring to their seats. If the children indeed have a mix of both genres,

the teacher will know they have successfully absorbed this knowledge.

72


Text: Dussling, Jennifer. (1998) Bugs, Bugs, Bugs. NY: DK Publishing.

Lesson Written By: Amanda Jenkins

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:



OBJECTIVES:

• Students will learn how to make predictions

about nonfiction books.

• Students will be able to make predictions

about what they will learn from nonfiction books

and be able to compare and contrast the

characteristics of fiction and nonfiction books.

PREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE:

Students know how to make thoughtful predictions about fiction bo oks and know

about the organization and purpose of nonfiction books.


NY State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and

understanding

NY State Reading Competences:

• Read grade-level texts for different purposes.

• Distinguish between texts with stories and texts with information

• Engage in pre-reading activities to:

o Identify what they know, want to know, and have learned about a specific

story, theme or topic

o Predict what could happen next or the outcome of a story or article

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Dussling, Jennifer. (1998) Bugs, Bugs, Bugs. NY: DK Publishing.

• Blank Venn diagram worksheets and pencils

• Classroom library

• Easel, markers, chart paper

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather class in morning meeting area.

2. Review predicting about fiction texts and highlight difference: readers of

nonfiction texts make predictions about what they will learn, not about what

73

will happen in the text like fiction texts. Readers use their schema about the

topic and what they know about the type of text to make predictions.

3. Introduce read-aloud text, Bugs, Bugs, Bugs. Model predictions through

thinking aloud.

4. Read further to see if the predictions were accurate.

5. Stop and ask students to make more predictions about the text as well.

6. Once text is finished, discuss what the class and teacher thought they would

learn, and actually did learn.

7. Ask students to choose nonfiction texts for reading workshop and record their

predictions before they read and while they read.

8. Teacher moves around room to conference with individual students. Scaffold

where necessary.

9. Venn diagram activity can be introduced once students have secure grasp of

making predictions about nonfiction.

ASSIGNMENT:

• Students practice making predictions about nonfiction texts they have selected

during independent reading time. Also, working with a partner, students make a

Venn diagram comparing fiction and nonfiction texts. Group comes back together

to share their diagrams and make a whole class diagram to hang as anchor chart.

(Activity may be continued/introduced the next day, depending on class progress).

ASSESSMENT:

• Teacher evaluates during individual conferences by asking questions about the

children’s predictions and what type of genre they are reading. The teacher

records this information for each student in an assessment notebook.

ACCOMODATIONS:

• This lesson can be broken down into several different days or combined,

depending on the children’s progress. Students who understand the concept

quicker can be partnered with children who need additional help. If children do

not make sufficient predictions during read-aloud of Bugs, Bugs, Bugs, teacher

can do read-alouds of one or two more nonfiction texts. The children then can

work on their own to make predictions the following day, and the Venn diagram

activity can be don eon the third day.

74


Text: Tomecek, Steve. (2002). Dirt. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society.

Lesson Written By: Sheila Chaglasian

INTENDED AUDIENCE

• Grade 2

GOAL:


how to determine importance in a nonfiction

text.

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to explain the purpose of the conventions of nonfiction,

specifically labels, drawings, cutaways, maps, types of print, and close-ups.


• Knowledge of nonfiction convention definitions, including the ability to recognize

and name those mentioned above. A background knowledge of the basic

differences between fiction and nonfiction would also be beneficial.


NYS ELA STANDARD 1: Students will read , write, listen, and speak for information

and understanding.


• Connect words and ideas in books to prior knowledge.


and

• ideas from text.

• Work cooperatively with peer pairs to comprehend text.

• Use own perspectives and opinions to comprehend texts.


MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Tomecek, Steve. (2002). Dirt. Washington D.C.: National Geographic

Society.

• Anchor chart of nonfiction convention terms and definitions

• Easel and Markers

• Variety of nonfiction books for children’s individual selection during workshop

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather children on the carpet in close proximity to easel.

2. Display chart with the following:

3. Introduce text. Cue the children that their job is to notice how the teacher does the

following as she reads the Dirt text aloud: recognizes conventions on a page, looks

75

to the anchor chart to read the definition out loud (reinforcement of previous

lesson) and explains the purpose of the convention (how it aided comprehension of

the text ). For example, a close-up picture of a bug’s eye helps the reader to

understand how a bug’s vision differs from that of a human being. Show several

examples.

4. Debrief the modeling session by asking the group as a whole to guide the teacher

through the process of convention-finding on the next few pages that immediately

follow those pages which the teacher just read to demonstrate the lesson.

5. Have peer pairs discuss the possibility of using a different convention to promote

learning of the same information on a page we just discussed. (e.g. Could the

author have used a map instead of a photograph to clarify the written text? ;

Would you have chosen a different convention to describe the same information?)

6. Summarize the children’s comments and invite the children to continue the

convention-finding process, as Dirt is read aloud, by raising their hands when they

recognize a convention. A second volunteer should explain the purpose of the

convention found by the first child.

7. Continue guided practice for 20 – 30 minutes.

8. Direct children to notice these conventions in their independent reading of

nonfiction books and use them if they need clarification of the text. If they do

notice or use conventions to help them in their reading, they should mark the page

with a sticky note for sharing time. Students should not be instructed that they

must find and use these conventions. It should be a natural aid to their

independent reading.

9. Observe children and inquire as to how their sticky note conventions were helpful.

10. Share time provided to reinforce concept and to promote self-expression and self-

esteem.

ASSIGNMENTS:

• Students practice noticing and utilizing conventions as needed during independent

reading. During share time, they must explain how the convention clarified the

text. The teacher will take notes (which she derives from informal conversations

which she initiates with the children as she roams the room during independent

reading time) in individual notebooks which she maintains for each child. These

notebooks are reviewed every one to two weeks to determine if a further lesson

on the topic needs to be planned for some of the children.. To further assess and to

ensure that all the children (not just those who actually did utilize conventions to

clarify their independent readings) grasped the concept, children will pick a story

from a pre-selected group of non-fiction books, search for a convention discussed

in the lesson and write the example along with an explanation of how this

convention enriched their reading experience. An entry might read something

like this, “The map of the east coast of the U.S. helped me to understand the

relative positions of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Before looking at

the map, I did not understand how all three states could have the Atlantic ocean as

their border.”

ASSESSMENT:

76

• Teacher observes students during independent reading in order to see how they

utilize the conventions. At share time, the teacher notes (as described above) the

children’s explanations of how the conventions they found in their independent

reading helped to deepen comprehension.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

• Student participation in finding conventions during mini-lesson was divided into

two parts to be answered by two different students, one identifying the convention

and the other describing the purpose of it. This was done to ensure

participation by students who could identify a convention but might not feel

comfortable describing its purpose. Advanced students would be encouraged to

make a glossary or a Table of Contents for the book, Dirt, thereby helping future

students who might read this book.

77

Inferring

Text: Heard, Georgia. (1992). Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky. Pennsylvania:

Honesdale, Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

Text: Stock, Catherine. (1993). Where Are You Going Manyoni? NY: Morrow Junior

Books.

Lesson Written By: Lindsay Guerra

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1

GOAL:

• The purpose of this lesson is to teach students how to infer meaning while

reading.

OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to understand the concept of inferring ideas and

situations in literature when encountering new or unseen texts or genres. Specifically

students will use their schema with textual and picture clues to answer questions that are

not explicitly stated in the text. Students will then confirm or contradict their inferences

as they read more of the text.



and understanding.

• Read grade-level informational texts to begin to collect data, facts, and ideas, with

assistance

• Distinguish between texts with stories and texts with information

• Select books to meet informational needs, with assistance

78



• Comprehend and respond to imaginative texts and performances; interpret, with

assistance

• Engage in pre-reading and reading activities to

o select books, tapes, and poems on the basis of personal choice/interest or

teacher-selected criteria, such as a theme/topic

o predict what might happen next in a story read aloud or independently

o draw conclusions from a story

o identify characters, settings, and events in a story

o retell a story

o distinguish between what is real and what is imaginary

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Children will already understand the concepts of

mental imaging, schema, and predicting content of a text through textual and pictorial

clues.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Heard, Georgia. (1992). Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky. Honesdale,

Pennsylvania: Boyds Mills Press, Inc.

• Text: Stock, Catherine. (1993). Where Are You Going Manyoni? NY:

Morrow Junior Books.

• Easel paper chart, markers

• “Inferring Charts”

• Students’ independent choice of texts in classroom

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather all students on rug by the easel.

2. Have inferring chart on easel already which will look like this:

Word What we infer it means What helped us?

Reread, Read on, Make a

mental picture, Schema,

Study Illustrations, Other

sources

3. Review of what schema is, and how good readers predict using textual

and pictorial clues, rereading, and mental imaging to help us guess what

will happen in a text

79

4. Introduce Where are you going Manyoni? Let the children know that

when they don’t understand a word in the text, they should raise their

hand quietly to let me know they don’t know that word

5. Begin reading text aloud, modeling thinking aloud when I get to a word I

think the children might not know

6. Model how I would define the word I didn’t know using the chart above,

and asking the children how I might find out what it means.

7. Have children share with a partner what they would use to discover the

meaning of a word in question

8. Give them a minute, and then ask the children to face forward and share

what strategies they talked about with their partner

9. Continue reading the story having the children actively participate in

finding other unknown words and discovering their meanings

10. Each time an unknown word is identified, write the word on the chart.

Then, work with the children on what they infer that the word means, and

work with the children to determine what strategy or tool will be used to

determine the meaning.

11. Progress through Where are you going Manyoni?

Day 2: Show children the text Creatures of Earth, Sea, and Sky

1. Briefly introduce inferring pertaining to the poems in the Heard text,

telling children how we can use inferring not only to identify words we do

not know, but also to help us understand poems or parts of text that are

not clearly explained by the author. Flip to anchor chart on easel with

chart on inferring using poems/mental imaging in Heard text on which has

on the paper the Heard poems on the left side, and leave space for

inferring on the right side. At the bottom of the sheet leave space for a

final statement of inferring.

2. Show the children how I have questions while reading the selected poems

about what the author is describing in her poem. Using the inferring

methods presented using the Stock text, help the children to see how we

can also use those methods to infer with poetry.

3. Let children know we will be working more with the Stock text tomorrow

in the mini-lesson, but that for now we will be going into reading

workshop time and for them to use their newfound information about

inferring to help with their reading in their independently chosen texts.

4. Have children keep either sticky notes or a notebook of words or phrases

they do not understand in the text, and have them practice inferring the

meaning of the unknown words and phrases they discover in their reading

as needed.

5. Walk around the room while the children are involved in their

independent reading. Observe their reading, writing, and interacting with

each other regarding their reading. Notice children in need of assistance

and work one-on-one closely.

80

ADAPTATIONS: By attempting to meet with each child on a one-on-one basis

throughout the week during their independent reading time, I will be able to more closely

assess their individual needs. If there is a child that appears to be needing a little more

help in one area, I will perhaps pair them with another child who seems to have grasped

the concept if that is appropriate in the situation, or spend a little bit of extra time with

that child in helping them to understand the concept presented. By attempting to get in a

one-on-one conference with each child at least once a week, it keeps the teacher informed

on what level each child in her class is at.

ASSIGNMENTS: The children will practice their inferring while reading their own

chosen texts during the independent reading portion of the reading workshop that follows

the mini-lesson.

ASSESSMENT: By meeting with each student, I will be able to assess how well he or

she comprehends each concept taught. In the mini-lesson, I will try to notice how each

child is participating and problem solving, making sure to give each child a chance to

answer a question posed during the lesson. I will record in my notebook those children

who are in need of assistance and what concepts I need to reinforce in the next day’s

lesson.

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Synthesizing

Text: Reynolds, Peter H. (2003). The Dot. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Text: Lehman, Barbara. (2006). Museum Trip. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Lesson Written By: Lindsay Babcock

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 2 students

GOAL:


students how to synthesize meaning

while reading related texts.

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to understand how to synthesize ideas while reading.

• Students will be able to determine important concepts from the text.

• Students will use their schema to predict.

• Students will chart how their thinking evolves while reading and rereading.

• Students will be able to figure out a theme of a work.

PREREQUISTE KNOWLEDGE:

• Understand the definition of synthesis.

• How to listen while teacher is reading and silently cue the teacher when an issue

has been addressing in the reading.

• How to appropriately use their schema to make connection from text to self, text

to text, and text to world.

• How to interpret visual images and text to create ideas about what will happen.


• New York State ELA Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for

information and understanding.

o Increase background knowledge by introducing new vocabulary and ideas.

o Use comprehension strategies to clarify the text.

o Work with peers to increase comprehension.

o Ask questions in response to the text.

• New York Stare ELA Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for

literary response and expression.

o Comprehend and respond to imaginative texts.

o Make predicts about the story.

o Draw conclusions from the story.

o Identify with characters and events.

o Retell the story

o Make distinctions between what it real and what if imagined.

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• New York State ELA Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for

critical analysis and evaluation.

o Analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented.

o Form a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on

experiences, ideas, information and issues.

MATERIALS NEDED:

• Text: Reynolds, Peter H. (2003). The Dot. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

• Text: Lehman, Barbara. (2006). Museum Trip. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin

Company.

• Easel with flip chart

• Markers

• Synthesis chart and worksheet

• Pencils

PROCEDURES:

1. Children are gathered around the easel which will have printed on it:

Page

#

What Do We Think Will Happen? What Caused Us Think This?

How Did Our Thinking Change While Reading the Story?

2. Teacher discusses with students how they will make predictions while listening to

the story, The Dot. Teacher explains each of the headings, indicating that at the

end of the story, the children will consider how their understanding of the story

changed.

3. Teacher begins reading text, showing the pictures as s/he reads.

4. Teacher models prediction after reading the first page.

5. Teacher continues reading the story, recording the students’ predictions and

evidence on the chart using alternating marker colors.

6. At the end of the story, the teacher elicits ideas from the students as to how their

ideas about the story changed.

7. Teacher records the students’ ideas on the chart.

8. Teacher explains to students that when reading our initial ideas may change as we

develop more understanding of the characters, their challenges, and how those

challenges are resolved.

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9. Teacher will ask students to consider if and how their thinking about a story

changes while reading their independent texts during reading time. If they find

their thinking has changed, will they note that in their notebooks and share their

learning during sharing time.

Day Two

1. Continuing the idea of synthesis from the previous lesson, the teacher will

introduce students to a wordless text, Museum Trip.

2. On a chart the teacher has recorded:

Story Events

Perspective

How Did Changing

Perspective Influence

Our Understanding of

the Story?

3. Teacher explains each of the headings, indicating that at the end of the story, the

children will consider how their understanding of the story changed as a result of

the changing perspectives in the story.

4. Teacher “read” through the text by showing each spread of pages and stopping to

ask students what is happening.

5. Teacher records the story events as dictated by the students as s/he “reads” the

story.

6. Teacher and students will return to the chart of story events and the teacher will

highlight the first instance where perspective changes and records this on the

chart.

7. Teacher will lead the students review the chart, indicating the perspective attached

to each story event and how the change in perspective changes the children’s

understanding of the story.

Assessment:

! Teacher interacts with students during reading partner work noticing how the

students are working through the text and putting together their ideas.

! Teacher confers with students individually during individual synthesizing

assignment to gauge their learning. Notes are made in student progress file.

! Teacher collects independent work assignment for evaluation and feedback.

Accommodations:

! Teacher will meet with identified students during reading workshop to assist one-

on-one as needed.

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Synthesizing

Text: Andrews-Goebel, Nancy. (2002). The Pot That Juan Built. Illustrated by David

Diaz. NY: Lee & Low Books.

Lesson Written By: Karen Thornton

INTENDED AUDIENCE: Grade 1

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will monitor overall meaning of text and

synthesize it.

• Students will see how text meaning builds from page

to page.

• Students will synthesize each page of text with language

skills and through drawing skills and will see how their

thinking can change as they read.

• Students will be able to find the overall meaning of the

text.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Students will understand what it means to

synthesize a text, having synthesized Who Is Melvin Bubble? over the course of the past

two days. That text was synthesized using a chart with “What I’m Thinking” and “What I

Learned” written on it. Today is the first time students will synthesize with both words

and pictures.


Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen and speak for information and

understanding. Students will learn how to extract meaning of text through reading,

writing, and discussion, as well as from artistic means. Children will use comprehension

strategies such as predicting/confirming and rereading to synthesize text. Students will

confer with their peers to extract more meaning from text.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Andrews-Goebel, Nancy. (2002). The Pot That Juan Built, NY: Lee & Low

Books.

• Easel and chart paper.

• Colored markers.

• Handouts that duplicate the easel chart for children to work with later.

PROCEDURES:

1. Gather children on the rug.

2. Explain to the children that today we are going to synthesize a story not just

through our words, but through our pictures as well.

3. Chart paper will read “Meaning” on left column and “Picture of Meaning” on the

right column.

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4. Teacher begins to read the first page of the book, The Pot That Juan Built.

5. Teacher asks class to come up with a sentence or two that tells what they think the

meaning is of that page and what they think the book will be about.

6. Teacher then asks class to agree on one picture, which she will draw to go along

with the agreed-upon meaning for that page.

7. Teacher continues to ask and discuss the meaning of each few pages as she reads

and asks class to agree on a meaning and picture for each.

8. Children are asked to talk with each other and confer about what they think the

sentence and drawing should be for each few pages and how their thinking may

have changed from when they began the book. Children will confer eye-to-eye

and knee-to-knee. After children come to a consensus, the teacher writes and

draws their meaning.

9. As the story unfolds, and the meaning of the book becomes clearer, children will

add to their pictures and sentences and make changes or updates to what they

thought they knew about the text from previous pages.

10. Teacher will stop halfway through the book. She will ask, “What have we

learned? Is the sentence we wrote on our first page really what the theme of the

book is about? How has it changed?”

11. Students will, with the second half of the book, attempt to synthesize their

knowledge from the prior pages to come up with new meanings and new pictures.

12. At the end of the book, children will come up with one or two sentences that

summarize their new knowledge of the book and the real meaning of the story.

They will compare how their thinking changed from their beginning sentences

and pictures to the end.

ASSIGNMENTS

• Students get their independent reading books and are given a worksheet

exactly like the one the teacher had on her chart paper. It will have the

words “Meaning of Page” on the left side and “Picture of Meaning” on the

right side.

• Children will be given instructions to write and draw what they think their

book is about after reading a few pages, until the culminating last page

gives them their real meaning, which they will write and draw on their

chart.

ASSESSMENT:

• Teacher will interact with students during the lesson and look for their

ability to synthesize text correctly. She will do this by questioning how

their thoughts about the story changed from the beginning over and over

again, until, at the end they have the main idea.

• Teacher will look at each child’s work during writing workshop and make

sure student understands the process of synthesizing by looking at his/her

worksheets and understanding his/her thinking and discussing it with him.

She will ask how the student’s thinking changed from when they first read

the story until the end of the story.

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ACCOMODATIONS:

• There is one child in the class who has ADD but who loves to draw and

can focus well on drawing. It is difficult for him to write for long periods.

This lesson plan was put together with him in mind, but I know it will

benefit all my students, since they all love to draw. I allow him to do

only the drawing part of the worksheet, but I discuss his meaning with

him and help him to synthesize his story when he finishes with it. We

compare his pictures all the way through the story and how they evolved.

Meaning Picture of Meaning

Juan makes pots.

Juan uses fire to make pots. This book

is about making pots.

Juan uses cow manure to stoke the fire to make

the pots. He uses human hair to paint the pots. He makes

the paint from dirt and minerals.

(We stop here and talk about the fact that Juan respects

the land and uses nature for his art. This book

is not just about making pots, we decide. It is about and

artist who uses nature to make art.)

Juan shines the pot with bones. He found the white clay

for his pots by watching ants carrying it on their backs.

Juan really likes to make use of nature.

Juan uses all the villagers to help him make his art. His

village used to be poor, but now the people have work

because of Juan. Juan saved his village through

his art.

We stop again. Before we read the end, we talk about how

we thought this was a book about pots, but that we know now

that it’s about an artist who uses nature to make his art. It is

also a book about helping people by creating jobs for them.

Juan, we decide, is an artist who respects the earth, is a good

friend to his villagers, and is a talented artist.

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Synthesizing

Text: Mills, Lauren. (1991). The Rag Coat. NY: Little, Brown & Company.

Lesson Written By: Lauren Mintzer

GOAL: Students monitor overall meaning and

are able to synthesize the text.

OBJECTIVES:

• Students will be able to monitor the overall

meaning of the text The Rag Coat by

Lauren Mills.

• Students will be able to find the important

concepts to the text.

• Students will see that their thinking evolves

in the process.

• Students will be able to find the overall theme

of the text.

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

• Grade 1


Standard 1-Language for information and understanding

1.Listening and reading to acquire information and understanding involves

collecting data, facts, and ideas; discovering relationships, concepts, and

generalizations; and using knowledge from oral, written, and electronic sources.

Standard 2-Language for literary response and expression

1.Listening and reading for literary response involves comprehending,

interpreting, and critiquing imaginative texts in every medium, drawing on

personal experiences and knowledge to understand the text, and recognizing the

social, historical and cultural features of the text.

2. Speaking and writing for literary response involves presenting interpretations,

analyses, and reactions to the content and language of a text. Speaking and

writing for literary expression involves producing imaginative texts that use

language and text structures that are inventive and often multilayered.

PREREQUISITE KNOWLEDGE: Students will understand the definition of synthesis.

We read some fables the previous day and synthesized them.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

• Text: Mills, Lauren. (1991). The Rag Coat. NY: Little, Brown & Company.

• Flip chart on easel

• Markers

• Synthesizing worksheet

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• Pencils

PROCEDURES:

1. I ask the students to come to the rug. “Students, today we are going to synthesize

the book The Rag Coat by Lauren Mills. We will synthesize it together both

during and after the reading. Can anyone tell me what they can infer from looking

at the cover?” I record their answers on the flip chart. I move the chart paper to

the board.

2. I have a chart on the easel that has 2 columns. The first is “What I’m thinking”

and the second is “Now what I’m thinking.”

3. I begin reading the book. I read a few pages showing the students the pictures as

well.

4. I stop reading after the father dies in the story. “Class what has happened in the

story thus far?” I ask the students to turn to a partner and discuss. Then I call for

volunteers to share their thoughts. I record some of the thoughts in the first

column of the flip chart. I make certain that the students understand that Minna’s

father intended for Minna to go to school and he would somehow get her a coat

for the cold weather. I ask the students to write on their sheet the first part of what

they are thinking.

5. I read up until the quilting mothers decide to make Minna a coat of rags. “Class

what are you thinking now?” I ask the students to turn to a partner and discuss.

Then I call for volunteers to share their thoughts. I record some of their thoughts

in the second column of the flip chart. I look for the answer that Minna will be

able to go to school and she will have a wonderful coat. I ask them to write on

their sheet the second part of what they are thinking.

6. At this point I say, “Class, you should all notice that you have probably changed

your mind about the ending of this book. One of my students from last year said,

‘If you don’t ever change your mind you’re not really synthesizing.’ Another one

of my students said, ‘When I synthesize my mind is changing, my ideas are

changing, my thinking is changing.’ So, I want everyone to listen and let’s see

what comes next.”

7. I read the next section up until Minna gets her coat. “Class what are you thinking

now?” I record some of their thoughts in column one of the chart. I ask the

students to turn to a partner and discuss. Then I call for volunteers to share their

thoughts. I write these thoughts in the second column. I look for the answer that

Minna is adjusting to school and she is looking forward to sharing day, so that she

can share the story about her coat. I ask them to write on their sheet the third part

of what they are thinking.

8. I read through the end of the book. “Class what are you thinking now?” I ask the

students to turn to a partner and discuss. Then I call for volunteers to share their

thoughts. I record their thoughts in the second column of the flip chart. At this

point I expect the class to fully understand the secret of the book and explain how

truly special Minna’s coat is to everyone. Her classmates appreciated her and love

her coat. I ask them to write on their sheet the fourth part of what they are

thinking.

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9. I ask the students to share some of their synthesis notes. I ask the students if they

noticed that their inferences about the story were changing as we read the

different parts of the book. I ask if everyone understood the theme of the book. I

reiterate that readers synthesize to understand more clearly what they have read. I

ask the students to put their worksheet in the finished box.

ADAPTATIONS: I have one student who is hearing impaired, I wear a microphone

attached to her device.

ASSIGNMENTS: No homework assignment

ASSESSMENT: I will collect their in-class worksheets and make sure that everyone is

correctly synthesizing the book. I will look for what they are thinking at the different

stages of the book. I will check to see if they have recorded some of their thoughts. I will

sit with those students who need extra help understanding the concept of synthesizing

during independent reading the following day.

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Name _____________________________ Date ___________________

Synthesizing ____________________________________________________

I’m thinking ____________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

And now I’m thinking ______________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________


______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

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Synthesizing Text: Steptoe, John. (1972). The Story of Jumping Mouse. NY: Mulberry Books.

Text: Lionni, Leo. (1997). A Color of His Own. NY: Dragonfly Books.

Lesson Written By: Miriam Stein

Intended Audience:

! Grade Two

GOAL:

• Students monitor overall

meaning and are able to

synthesize the text.

Objectives: ! Students will be able to

articulate how their thinking

changes as they read and discuss

a story. ! Students will be able to extract inferential ideas.

! Students will be able to express their ideas orally and in written form.

Prerequisite Knowledge: ! Students have listened to and read an extensive collection of fables and are comfortable

asking questions about their reading, using their schema, and looking for clues to extend

their understanding.

! Students listened to part of The Story of Jumping Mouse and heard the teacher express

her thinking as the story unfolded.

New York State Learning Standards Addressed: ! NY State ELA Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary


NY State Reading Competencies: ! Be able to articulate how our thinking evolves as a story unfolds.

! Explain the meaning presented in stories beyond the literal level.

! Listen and contribute to peer discussions to extend understanding.

! Respond to literature in creative and meaningful ways.

Materials Needed: ! Text: Steptoe, John. (1972). The Story of Jumping Mouse. NY: Mulberry Books.

! Text: Lionni, Leo. (1997). A Color of His Own. NY: Dragonfly Books.

! Teacher’s thinking on a chart

! Easel paper and markers

! Reading Group texts

! Student response supplies: Paper, poster board, sticky notes, pencils, markers

! Individual synthesis response worksheets

Procedures:

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1. Children are gathered at the rug near the easel.

2. Teacher talks about how readers think as they read and that our thinking can change

through a story.

3. Teacher will finish reading The Story of Jumping Mouse, pausing every so often to

verbalize her thinking about what is happening in the story. She continues to reveal her

chart notes that describe her thinking (chart content attached).

4. Students listen for the words the teacher is using to show how her thinking is changing

through the story.

5. When the story is finished, the teacher reveals what she learned from the story.

6. Teacher reads over her “think aloud” notes to the students. Students are asked to take

note of the language the teacher used to describe her thoughts at various points in the

story.

7. On a separate chart, the teacher lists the language pointed out by the students.

8. Teacher reads A Color of His Own. At various points in the story, the teacher pauses to

ask the children to think about what is happening. She asks them to turn to a partner to

discuss their thoughts. The teacher records their responses on the easel chart.

9. When the story is finished, students are asked to turn to a partner to discuss what they

learned from the story. Teacher writes down their thinking on the chart.

10. Children pair with their reading partner to read a new book together. They write, and

draw if they wish, their thoughts and their learning from the story. They may organize

their thinking using any available materials listed under “student response supplies.”

11. Teacher briefly checks in with each group to listen to their conversation and lend

assistance as needed.

12. The class regroups at the rug with their poster boards and papers to share how their

thinking evolved and to report what they learned from the story.

13. Teacher informs students that what they have been doing - putting all their thinking

together to see what they have learned - is called synthesizing.

Assignments: ! In class the following day, students practice synthesizing on the own with an independent

reading book (worksheet attached).

! Students write about what they do when they synthesize and what they think synthesizing

is in their own words (worksheet attached).

Assessment: ! Teacher interacts with students during reading partner work noticing how the students are

working through the text and putting together their ideas.

! Teacher conferences with students individually during individual synthesizing

assignment to gauge their learning. Notes are made in student progress file.

! Teacher collects independent work assignment for evaluation and feedback.

Accommodations: ! Over the past two weeks the teacher has met with two students during recess helping

them to develop their skill and comfort in talking about stories. One day before the

lesson, the teacher met with these students to read Lobster and Crab and discuss the

meaning of the story.

! Each student has their own book box with texts matched to their reading level.

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Mrs. Stein’s thinking for

The Story of Jumping Mouse

I’m thinking this is a story about an adventurous mouse

who wants to find this far-off land that he has heard about.

At first I was thinking it was just an adventure for Jumping

Mouse, but now I’m thinking that getting to the far-off land

is very important to him – it’s his dream. Getting there

might be difficult or dangerous so he needs to believe in

himself.

Now I’m thinking that the fat mouse lost his dreams and

with them he lost hope. Jumping Mouse’s dream and his

excitement keep him strong.

This is really different than I thought it was going to be!

Now I’m thinking that Jumping Mouse isn’t as capable as

he used to be without his sight and his sense of smell, but

he can still make it to the far-off land because the animals

he helped can help him find his way safely.

Wow! This changes my thinking again. Now I’m thinking

that Jumping Mouse thought he couldn’t make it to the far-

off land when he lost hope.

Oh, I get it now. It’s important to have dreams, to believe

in yourself, and to never give up hope. When we help

others we get something too. Never give up your dreams

because they are an important part of who you are.

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Name: ______________________________Date: ______

Synthesizing: ____________________________________

comprehension lessons 2006 and 2007

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