Characters’ Effect on Events

Shared Learning Experience
Learning Goal: Students will describe an event in the story by drawing on a character’s words and actions.
Text Options: Part Four: Jack
Suggested Resources: Resource 1: Character Effects on Events (Scaffolding)
  • Use think-pair-share or another discussion technique to have students name 1 – 3 important events that have happened so far in the text. Once pairs or groups have identified at least one event, ask them to think of what actions led to that event. For instance, students may name the event of Auggie’s first day of school.
  • In collaborative groups or partners, ask students to list Auggie’s actions and words that led to their event. Encourage students to think of what Auggie said and did to get him to the first day of school. This list could be created using chart paper, sticky notes, or through Padlet.
  • If necessary, the teacher may model the process of closely reading parts of the text and looking back at post-it note annotations that may indicate Auggie’s actions and words that led him to the first day of school.
  • Reconvene to share and discuss student lists. Be sure to help students see the connection between a characters thoughts, words, and actions with the important events in the story. If the discussion does not lead there, point out how the author uses the characters to build the importance of the events. (RL4.3)
  • Introduce the following questions to students. “What actions lead to Jack getting detention? What caused him to take these actions?”
  • Tell students that as they read/re-read Part Four, they will be reading to answer these questions. They will be reading to understand how the character’s actions, words, or thoughts lead to certain events in the story (See independent learning activities).

Scaffolding / Enrichment / Accelerated
Small Group Activity Options
Standards
RL.4.3 / If students find it difficult to connect the character’s actions and/or words to important event in order to describe the event, consider these suggestions:
View the clip from LearnZillion to review how to closely read and annotate the text in order to answer the questions about how the characters develop the event in the story.
Closely read and/or re-read pages 151-154.
Provide support for students by stopping frequently to ask questions to monitor comprehension.
Use annotations and/or discussion points to fill in the resource sheet provided (Resource 1: Character’s Effects on Events). Aid students in synthesizing the information in the resource in order to provide a written response and explanation. / If students find it difficult to synthesize the actions and words of a character into the description of an event, consider these suggestions:
Allow students time to find examples of Jack’s actions and words that lead to his detention. Students may be encouraged to annotate the text as they read by using sticky notes or by making a list of actions and words that lead to Jack’s detention.
Once students have read and annotated, encourage students to share their examples with the small group. Have one student give an example and another student explain how the example does or does not lead to the event. Practice articulating the explanation process several times before having students try responding to the questions independently. / If students are able to successfully describe an event by drawing on the character’s words and actions, consider the following suggestions:
Allow students to read and annotate the text independently or as a partner read. Students should then respond to the question by writing in their journals or creating a paper or digital web to connect examples of words/actions to the event.
Independent Learning Activities: Reading and annotating Part Four of Wonder.
Respond to the questions in Reading Response Journal, on Resource sheet, or by creating a digital response such as a web.