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| Overview |
Comprehension requires more than knowledge of the basic facts in a reading. Instead,
readers need to actively in engage in their readings to move toward critical
thinking. After reading a piece of literature in this lesson
plan, students explore
their text, searching for
literary elements such as characters,
setting, figures of speech, and themes, using the alphabet to organize their
findings and publishing their work in ABC books, using the Alphabet Organizer
Student Interactive.
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| From Theory to Practice |
Reading comprehension is often linked to understanding. However there is
more to comprehending than simply “getting” what you read. In his
article from Voices
from the Middle, Robert Probst
takes
a look at his own comprehension and the strategies he uses while reading. He
concludes, “Comprehension
is too complex to be effectively assessed with anything so simple and reductive
as a test, and it isn’t achieved by concentrating solely on the text itself,
though of course that does require close attention. Instead, to comprehend requires
a concerted effort to see through the text to what lies beyond. And that demands
an imaginative and committed reader.” If we as adults understand this,
then we need to look at how we assess our students’ comprehension.
Further
Reading
Probst, Robert E. “Responding
to Reading: You Know What I Mean?” Voices
from the Middle 11.1 (September 2003):
56-57.
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| Student Objectives |
Students will
- read and discuss a work of fiction
- make personal connections to the text as a means of improving comprehension.
- explore the use literary elements such as characters, vocabulary and themes
in a work of fiction
- collect examples of literary elements while reading
- construct an alphabet book, which demonstrates comprehension of a work
of fiction
- present their alphabet books to the class
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| Instructional Plan |
Resources
Preparation
- Choose a text for the students to focus on in their Alphabet
Books. Students can focus on a book read independently, in literature
circles, reading groups, or as a whole class.
- Ask students to bring copies of the books that
will be the focus of their project to class for reference.
- Choose any book that the class has read or heard as a group to demonstrate
and provide examples for this lesson. The examples used here come from the
Harry Potter series; however, this activity can be completed with any book
that students are familiar
with.
- This lesson
assumes that students have a working knowledge of characters and character
development, defining words, elements of plot, settings, and
figurative language. The following lessons and resources can help provide
background information or review activities for this lesson plan:
- Characters
- Fiction,
Creating Characters Lesson Plan, from ArtsEdge
- Character Development
- What a Character! Lesson Plan, from ArtsEdge
What is Character? Handout, from ReadWriteThink
- Elements of Plot
- Fiction,
Plotting the Story, from ArtsEdge
- Setting
- Fiction, Setting the Story, from ArtsEdge
- Figurative Language
- Figurative Language Awards Ceremony
- If desired, create customized versions of the Planning Sheet and Checklist
to meet the needs of the lesson or classroom.
- Make copies of the Planning Sheet and
Checklist for students.
Prepare a copy of the Planning Sheet Example to share with the class,
as an overhead for instance.
- Test the Alphabet Organizer
Student Interactive on
your computers to familiarize yourself with the tools and ensure that you have
the Flash plug-in installed. You can download the plug-in
from the technical support page.
Instruction and Activities
Session One: Prior to Student Reading
- In
a class discussion, ask the students what kinds of things they notice or
pay attention to as they read.
- List their responses on chart paper or on the board. They should identify
elements such as character, setting, dialogue, and so forth. Provide examples
and suggestions from the book as necessary to help students build their list.
- Explain to the students that they will be looking
for these things
(characters, vocabulary, literary elements) as they read
or listen to the assigned text.
- Pass out the
Alphabet Book Checklist, showing them what is necessary in their
Alphabet Book.
- Show the students the Student Planning Sheet, and discuss
how they will use it
to record a key word or term while they are reading (See example).
Then, when the students are using the online Alphabet Organizer, they
can transcribe
their keyword, and add details or examples at that time.
- Using an LCD
projector, demonstrate use of the Alphabet
Organizer Student Interactive. Students will be using Option
3 in the tool, where
they will be able to type in words and related notes for each letter
of the alphabet.
- Using a book that has previously been read or discussed
in class (here, Harry Potter), demonstrate how to create
an Alphabet Book.
- Ask students to gather details on the book (or books) that they are reading
to create their own Alphabet Books. Note: while the teacher demonstration
is completed after the text is read by the whole class, it is a good idea
to have the students fill out planning sheet as they read so that they are
paying attention to details and literary elements throughout their engagement
with the text.
Session Two: Student Work and Reading
- Remind students of the goals and elements included in this project. Answer
any questions students have.
- Encourage students to record the literary elements they encounter on the
Student Planning Sheet.
- Point students to the Alphabet
Book Checklist to remind them
what needs to be included in their Alphabet Book.
- While students work, encourage them to interact with one another, to
share and receive feedback on their plans for alphabet books.
- Repeat this session as many times as necessary to allow enough reading
and work time for students to complete their reading and notes before Session
Three.
Session Three: Publishing Alphabet Books
- When all letters are completed, students can print their letter pages, review the printouts, and make any corrections before exiting.
- Give students time to type, proofread, and print their bookmarks. Remind
them to print multiple copies if necessary to share with other students and
the library.
- If students realize an error later, they can always print a new letter
page by starting again and filling in only the letter they need. Keep in
mind; the tool will print only those letters completed.
- If time on the computer is limited and the entire Alphabet Book cannot
be completed, students can print out completed letters after each session
and turn those in to the teacher.
- This project also works well as group work. Groups of students can be assigned certain letters of the alphabet, and their printed letters can all be put together into a book.
- When printing, students have two choices. Ask your students to print out
their work using “Letter
Pages” or “Charts and Notes.” If the “Letter Pages” option
is used, each letter will print out on a separate page. If the “Charts
and Notes” option is used, one page will print out with an alphabet
chart and the words chosen. A second set of pages will print with the notes
recorded for each letter.
Session Four: Presenting Alphabet Books
- The students should be prepared to share their Alphabet Book with the class, as an alternative to a book report.
- Give students five minutes to make last-minute preparations and to
practice their presentation.
- Have students present their books to the entire class, sticking closely to
the guideline that you've established for length (perhaps 2 to 3 minutes, depending
upon the number of students and the time allowed).
Web Resources
- Sample
Character Traits List, from ReadWriteThink
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf
- This handout, from another ReadWriteThink lesson, provides a list of adjectives which can be used in describing characters.
- “The Good, the Bad, and the Nice” Word
Webs
http://www.readwritethink.org/lesson_images/lesson282/WordWebs.pdf
- This handout, from another ReadWriteThink lesson, uses word webs to illustrate words describing people, places and things.
- Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary and Thesaurus
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
- On this Web site, you can access the full text of Merriam-Webster's
Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, and Collegiate
Thesaurus. Site links take you to word games, the featured word of the day, and to Word Central, a language site for kids.
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| Student Assessment/Reflections |
- Teacher should observe students for their participation during the discussions about the work of fiction, as well as the literary elements.
- In class discussions and conferences, students should be able to define literary elements such as characters, vocabulary and themes in a work of fiction.
- Teacher and student should compare the student’s Planning
Sheet and Alphabet
Book Checklist to the final Alphabet Book to check that all components
are present.
- As students present their alphabet books to the class, the teacher can take notes,
using the Alphabet
Book Checklist, to verify the alphabet books are complete.
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1 - Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
2 - Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
3 - Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
4 - Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
5 - Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
6 - Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
8 - Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
11 - Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
12 - Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
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