GRA: “The White Circle” by John Bell Clayton
I. PREVIEW – Study the picture, think about the story title, and read only the first paragraph. Write three questions you would like answered as you read this story. (Please, no questions that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.”)
(1)
(2)
(3)
II. PRE-READING VOCABULARY – Study the meaning of these words and phrases...
chortled – laughed or chuckled with great satisfaction or amusement
sow (rhymes with “now”) – a female pig
falsetto mimicry – imitating someone (mimicry) by speaking in a high-pitched voice (falsetto)
schoolhack shed – small building for drying and storing fire wood used to heat the school building
straw rick – a large pile of cut straw left to dry in a field
mows – piles of cut hay or grains stored in a barn
prongs – sharp long teeth of a pitchfork
III. READ page 157 to midway on page 161 (‘...like summer fruit”). Stop and make a prediction about what will happen either next or how the story will end.
IV. FINISH READING THE STORY. Refer to your “Five Critical Reading Question Types” sheet and write two questions in each of the categories below...
FACTUAL – the questions can be answered directly in the text. There is a single correct answer
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2.
BACKGROUND – the questions must be answered by information outside the text. For example, they could be questions about the place and time period in which the story is set or the culture of the characters.
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2.
INTERPRETIVE – questions get at the story’s deeper meaning and lessons. There can be more than one good answer supported with evidence from the text. (WHY questions!)
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V. WORD STUDY – use context clues to define the words below (avoid “dictionary talk”)...
1. nurture (159) –
2. callously (159) –
3. practically (162) –
4. inadvertently (165) –
5. vindictive (165) –
6. sullen (166) –
7. bewildered (166) –