Writing a Response to support the best choice of the Red Clover Books
Teacher: Jennifer Brown
Plan for combined 3rd & 4th library class
Response to Text Report on Red Clover choice for 2011-2012
Content: Students will understand that a good picture book combines narrative and design elements and make an informed and thoughtful vote for their Red Clover choice. (Support the Red Clover Award mission*).
Reading: Students will understand that to evaluate texts they need to read aloud, reread in partnership, do partner to partner discussions, take notes to make sense of text and illustrations.
Writing: Students will understand that a short constructed response supports a focus with evidence from the text and a conclusion.
* Red Clover award is a children's choice picture book award designed to foster awareness, understanding and appreciation of the picture book. The award encourages readers to enjoy, explore and discuss the pictorial narrative and design elements of the picture book in order to sharpen critical thinking and communication skills;heighten appreciation of literature and the visual arts; and nurture enthusiasm for reading and promote lifelong learning.
Focusing Question :
Why do you think the book you chose is the best picture book for this year?
Focus (answer to focusing question):
I think___________was the best picture book this year because.........
(for example)
”Wonder Horse” by Emily Arnold McCully was the best picture book this year because the text and pictures work together to show the main character, Doc Key, was good at his job and was kind to animals (Write a report and then vote).
Building Content Knowledge, Understanding of Writer's Craft:
Read aloud five books
Read five books with partners (Total of 10 books)
Gather evidence with partners
Public Notes for evidence
Read and study the ideas in the book, “Picture This” by Molly Bang
Read and study the ideas in Eileen Christelow's “What Do Authors Do?”
Anchor chart of the characteristics of a “good' picture book
Think-pair-share with past Red Clover winners
Talk about summaries
Practice summaries of a favorite picture book
Summarize texts and stand next to your summary and present to the group
Vocabulary investigations as a group
Dramatizing sections of the stories
T-charts comparing and contrasting two of the books at a time
Structures:
Test Drive Model of Response of text with evidence from last years Red Clover books.
Finding evidence to support each story. Post on the wall for all grades who come in the library to see. Make towers out of the evidence so they can visually see which has more evidence or which has evidence they think is the most compelling.
Use Frayer model for working on vocabulary.
Writing and Revising:
Group write a sample from last years Red Clover list.
Write this piece independently using public notes and include about 6-7 good sentences.
Revise and share with partners
Revise and share with full group
Proofread in partners.
Lesson Sequence:
1. Introduce Red Clover mission
2. Introduce and discuss ”Picture This” and “What Do Authors Do?”
3. Anchor chart with characteristics of a “good' picture book to refer to when writing.
4. Choose five Red Clover books to read aloud
5. Each week read one aloud and take group notes
6. Discuss summaries and write one about a favorite picture book they have read before
7. Each week partner read a Red Clover book and have them create a summary and an evidence sheet. (two jobs per group)
8. Draw pictures for each book. Gather evidence and summaries to go on top of picture for that book, to build towers on the wall.
9. “Knowing it backwards and forwards” Act out scenes from the books.
10. Write response to text showing evidence, at least 6-7 good thinking sentences.
11. Partner for revisions
12. Proofread
13. Group sharing
14. VOTE!
Assessment: How are students doing? What are my next steps as a teacher?
Show their teachers their work.
Prepare something for them to take home to parents
Discuss and share with other colleagues.
Read over and compare to work in their classroom.
Go over and think about what worked and what didn't work.
Assess using Standard 1.7 Response to Text Constructed Response Scoring Rubric
(by Joey Hawkins)
Release of Responsibility:
Brainstorm ideas for next years students
Brainstorm ideas for them making their own reading choices.
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Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteIt looks like your project involves a lot of scaffolding and modeling. I particularly like how you are using last year's Red Clover books to make an anchor chart with characteristics of what makes a “good' picture book, and to do a group write with a sample from last year's Red Clover list. You give students opportunities to evaluate the evidence in each other's writing as well.
Your choice of using Red Clover Books is great as it is something already familiar to students and easily accessible.Since students are already voting, this unit gives them a deeper understanding of what elements are important in a good picture book. Your unit includes great scaffolding for writing and an authentic purpose for writing. I like how you share with their classroom teachers. It will be interesting to see how their votes compare with the winning text. Great to see this connection in writing with librarian! Great unit!
ReplyDeleteJennifer -
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to use the Red Clover as an early introduction to informed voting! (This reminds me of an interview I heard recently with a book critic who is reading all of the books by all of the 2012 candidates for president.) It looks like you have planned to give your students a lot of opportunity to build consistent knowledge, which must be especially important if you don't see your students every day. I think the fact that students will actually get to vote, and can try to convince their classmates will be a good motivator for this series of lessons. How cool that you get to teach writing in the library! Good luck - I'd like to hear how it goes!