CLOSE READ INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE-ONE TEXT

COLLABORATIVE PLAN

Text: ___Big Al____

School: SAMPLE / Date: 3-13-12 / Institute Session:
Team Members:
SAMPLE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON TEXT
Title of Text:Big Al / Genre:Narrative Fiction
Author:Andrew Clements / Publication Year:1988
Where did you get the book? (X)
____Title One Writing Institute Book __X__ K CCSS Institute Materials
____ Reading Series: ______School Library
____ Buzz About It _____ Science Series: ______
____ Social Studies Series ______
____ Online (Add Site) ______
____ Other (List) ______
When would you recommend this sequence be implemented during the school year?The book aligns with Treasures’ Unit 2 “Friends” and Unit 9, Theme 2 “Amazing Ocean” and could be used to be support both themes. This lesson is written for implementation as part of Unit 9.
ANALYSIS OF TEXT COMPLEXITY
Quantitative / Lexile Level:
880 L / Readability Level (e.g. grade level or F&P):
Grade Level 2.9
Qualitative / Challenging Tier 2 Vocabulary
  • Steered
  • Clever
  • Disguised
  • Clumsy
  • Tremendous
/ Challenging Tier 3 Vocabulary
  • School of fish
  • Salty
  • Gills
  • Camouflage (Add to text with third read)

Language Demands
  • Conversational
  • Clear
/ Content Demands
  • different types of fish live in the ocean
  • fish can be caught with nets
  • some fish live in groups called schools

Levels ofMeaning
The author teaches a moral, or lesson, with the story. Readers must look beyond the story of what happens to Big Al to uncover the central message of friendship. / Text Structure
Narrative Chronological Order (Beginning, Middle, and End)
Reader and Task / This section is dependent on reader variables (motivation, knowledge, and experience) and task variables (purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and questions posed). Think about how this applies to your students as you discuss this part of text complexity with your team. Do not fill in this section.
STANDARDS FOCUS
English/Language Arts Standards (# and standards-add boxes as needed)
RL.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text / RL.K.2: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
RL.K.3: With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story. / L.K.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through othermedia by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something isnot understood.
Support for Content Area Disciplinary Standards (# and standards-add boxes as needed)
Science:
BIG IDEA 14: Organization and Development of Living Organisms
SC.K.L.14.2 Recognize that some books and other media portray animals and plants with characteristics and behaviors they do not have in real life. / Social Studies:
SS.K.C.2.2 Demonstrate that conflicts among friends can be resolved in ways that are consistent with being a good citizen.
CLOSE READ INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE
Before Reading / Show students the cover of the book and read the title. Tell them that Big Al is the main character of this book. Have students point to Big Al on the front cover. How did the know that fish was Big Al? Have students “turn and talk” to describe how Big Al looks on the front cover of the book. Encourage students to use specific details as they describe the fish.
First Read / Learning Goal / Students will retell a story, including key details.
Reading Focus/Text Dependent Questions / 1. Read entire text for enjoyment. Pause naturally on certain pages to discuss or respond to students’ questions, but take caution not to interrupt the flow of the first read.
2. Have students “turn and talk” with a neighbor to retell the story, including key details. Sweep around the group to “eavesdrop” on discussions. Pull out key details to share with the whole group.
3. Lead students in a whole group retelling of the text (focus on beginning, middle, and end), including key details in the text.
Second Read / Learning Goal / Students will ask and answer questions about key details in the text.
Chunk of Text (page #) / Pages 7-15
Reading Focus/Text Dependent Questions /
  1. Have students “turn and talk” with a neighbor to discuss:
  • Does Al want to make friends with the other fish?
  • How do you know?
2. Reread the sets of pages within this chunk of text. Pause between sections to discuss:
  • What does Al do to try and make friends with the other fish?
  • Why don’t his actions work?
3. On chart paper, list what Al does to try and make friends with the other fish. Incorporate challenging vocabulary into the list and your discussion (e.g., camouflage.)
EX:
  • Disguise himself with seaweed
  • Puff himself up to look clever and silly
  • Covered himself up with sand
  • Changed his color

Third Read* / Learning Goal / Students will identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
Chunk of Text (page #’s) / Pages 16-20
Reading Focus/Text Dependent Questions / 1. Reread pages 16-20.
2. Stop on page 20.
  • What is the setting of this book?
  • Who are the characters in this book?
3. Discuss the description of Big Al on the page, “Huge, puffy, scary, fierce looking fish who has more friends than anyone else.”
  • What other words could be used to describe Al?
  • What events happened in the book so that Al could have more friends than anyone else?
4. Have students choose a major event in the story (you may want to do a quick picture walk as a reminder) and talk about it with their neighbor.
  • Where does this event take place?
  • What is Al doing during this event?
NOTE: This activity will lead into the performance task (see below).
PERFORMANCE TASK
Authentic, meaningful task that requires the students to synthesize knowledge and skills learned and apply them to construct a response, create a product and/or performance to demonstrate understanding of the text (text-based evidence). Use the CCSS and your selected text as a guide when creating the performance task. Appendix B ( of the CCSS provides examples of performance tasks at the K-1 level on pages 14-36.
After listening to Andrew Clements Big Al, students write about (through drawing and/or writing) a major event in the story, including the character Big Al and the setting of the ocean. (RL.K.3)
DIFFERENTIATION
How can this performance task be differentiated to meet individual students’ needs?
For ELL students and students working at the approaching level, have them use the book as a model while they complete the task. Provide multiple opportunities for the students to retell the major events with the text as a guide.
For enrichment students, encourage them to draw and write about multiple events from the book. How does Big Al change during each event?
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC for PERFOMANCE TASK
An explicit set of criteria used for assessing a particular type of work or performance. How will you assess students’ work to determine if they are progressing towards mastery of grade level standards? For each part of the scale below, provide a description of what a student might complete at each level. Provide specific examples relative to the performance task. NOTE: One performance task may address one standard or multiple standards.
PERFORMANCE TASK:
After listening to Andrew Clements Big Al, students write about (through drawing and/or writing) a major event in the story, including the character Big Al and the setting of the ocean. (RL.K.3)
Standard/
Standards
RL.K.3: With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story / Experimenting (1)
Students drawing and/or writing does not relate to the content of the book.
EXAMPLE
Scribbles, picture or writing of a person / Emerging (2)
Students drawing and/or writing relates to the content of the book, but does not specifically address the characters, setting, and major events in Big Al.
EXAMPLE
Fish swimming in ocean (not Big Al). / Developing (3)
Two of the elements (character, setting, or major event from the story) are evident in the students’ drawing and/or writing.
EXAMPLE
Student draws Big Al in the ocean, but does not draw Big Al in one of the book’s major events. / Proficient (4)
The character of Big Al, setting of the ocean, and details of a major event from the story are evident in the students’ drawing and/or writing.
EXAMPLE
Student draws Big Al rescuing the fish from the net in the ocean and writes, “Big Al saved the little fish.”
EXTENSIONS
WRITING
How could you use this as a “mentor text” in writing workshop? /
  • This book can be used as a model for narrative text structure as it has a clear beginning, middle, and end. Encourage students to retell the parts as they hold up a different finger for each part of the text. Students can then be provided booklets (pages of paper stapled together) to create their own stories with a beginning, middle, and end.
  • The book has many interesting print conventions, including bold words (p. 5), words in all caps (p. 5), ellipses (p. 11), words stretched out (p. 11), and dashes (p. 22). Reread and highlight these print conventions. Why did the author stretch out the word sn…..eeeeee…..zzzz….eeeee on page 11? How can you use this interesting technique in your own writing?
  • This book is packed with amazing details, especially with the descriptions of Big Al the fish. Point out how the author’s descriptions of Big Al help support the illustration and paint a picture in the reader’s mind. Model an informative/explanatory piece about Big Al, including the details from the text. Have students choose an animal and write an informative/explanatory piece on that animal. Encourage them to use specific details as they describe their animal.

TECHNOLOGY
Online Support for Text/Content /
  • Scholastic Big Al Page:
  • Review from “The Best Children’s Books”:
  • Using Books to Promote Socio-Emotional Development:
  • Author Website, Andrew Clements:
  • Children’s Literature Meet the Author:

Technology Integration for instruction and student application /
  • Video excerpt of Big Al presented in American Sign Language: (NOTE: The video links to You Tube and can only be accessed on devises outside of the school network)
  • Audio or video record students’ retelling of the text.

CONTENT AREAS
How does this text support the content area standards? / Science
Even though this book is a fictional story about Big Al, many factual elements are evident in the text. To support the SC.K.L.14.2 science standard, students can be asked to compare the realistic qualities of Big Al and his actions to the make-believe qualities of Big Al and his actions.
Social Studies
To support the SS.K.C.2.2 identify the conflicts between Big Al and the other fish in the story.
  • What prevented them from being friends in the beginning and middle of the book?
  • How did Big Al try to solve these conflicts on his own?
  • How did their conflict get resolved at the end of the story?
  • How were Big Al’s actions consistent with being a good citizen?

* Use only if applicable to your text and lesson