Crossing the Bridge of Comprehension

Literary Essay

Crossing the Bridge of Comprehension

Big Understanding: Students will distinguish the main idea from less important details in the text in order to determine importance and determine key words and main ideas essential to making meaning in a selection.

KBAD monitor your stamina.

Day 1

Monitor Stamina

Stamina: endurance, how much you are able to read at one time

By the fifth grade you should be able to sit and read for at least 30 minutes without stopping

You monitor your stamina by writing down how many pages you've read in your reading log

Turn and Talk

What can you do to push yourself as a reader?

KBAD check-in on your logs and reading

responses.

Day 2

Logs and Reading Responses

What should you see in a reading response notebook?

How many pages you've read

How long it took you to finish a book

Reading responses that use quotes from your book

Books from different genres

Turn and Talk

If you looked into your partner's reading response notebook what should you see?

KBAD understand expectations for book

clubs.

Day 3

Book Club Expectations

Complete each night's reading assignment

You come to class prepared to talk about the book

You've answered all questions

You have a question to ask the group

Turn and Talk

How will you know if you are ready for a book club meeting?

KBAD determine main idea and details.

Day 4

Main Idea and Details

The main idea gives the "big picture" of the text

Details give the little bits of information that expand on the main idea

On Friday, July 8, NASA sent the space shuttle Atlantis into outer space for the last time. America is ending the groundbreaking space shuttle program after 30 years, and Atlantis is the last of NASA's shuttles to launch into space. Officials estimate that as many as almost one million spectators were there to watch America’s last shuttle soar into space.

Turn and Talk

What is one detail from this passage?

KBAD respond in different ways while

supporting your opinions.

Day 5

Responding with Opinions

When you complete a reading response it is okay to include your opinion

After you finish your summary you can add your opinion about what you have read

Turn and Talk

When is it important to share your opinion?

KBAD checking in to make sure our books

are just right.

Day 6

Just Right Books

Within your ZPD range

There are two or three new words in each chapter

You can describe the genre and identify the theme of the book

Turn and Talk

How do you know if you're reading a just right book?

KBAD find evidence to support point of view.

Day 7

Point of View

Point of view: a character's attitude or perspective

You can find examples of a character's point of view by looking at what they say (dialogue) and what they do (actions)

Turn and Talk

How would you describe your main character's attitude?

KBAD compare themes between

texts.

Day 8

Identify Different Identify Different ThemesThemesConservation/ preservation (Selective Logging)

Restoration (Water Quality)

Survival

Man v. wild

Activism

Being a change agent

Types of energy

Toxins/chemicals

Air Quality

Water Quality

Recycling

Hazardous Waste

Good v. Evil

History of Law

Friendships with animals

Cooperation

Seeing other’s point of view

Tragedy/ Overcoming devastation

Rebuilding

Hope

Commitment

Going against the norm

Comparing Themes

Think about the theme of a book you read earlier this year

What is the theme of the book you are reading now?

Are they similar or different?

Turn and Talk

What is the theme of the book you are reading now?

KBAD identify how setting influences

theme.

Day 9

Setting Influences Theme

It is important to notice the setting of a story

The location, time of year, time of day are all part of the setting

The setting can often be connected to the theme of a book

Turn and Talk

What is the setting of your story? Is it related to the theme of your book?

KBAD explore and identify themes to help build thesis

statements.

Day 10

Theme Thesis Statements

Once you have identified the theme of your book you can write a sentence that sums it up

The theme of Holes is friendship and survival. This books demonstrates the power of having friends when you are struggling to overcome a hardship.

Turn and Talk

How would you sum up the theme of your book?

KBAD identify author's purpose, influence

and bias.

Day 11

Author's Purpose

Authors' have many reasons for writing a text

Persuade: to convince you of something

Inform: teach you about something

Entertain: to amuse you

Turn and Talk

Why did the author write this text?

KBAD identify context and tone.

Day 12

Context and Tone

Context: the background information of a text

Tone: the attitude and mood of a text

Turn and Talk

What is the tone of your book?

KBAD notice characters'

relationships and interactions.

Day 13

Characters' Relationships

It is important to think about the characters when you read

Notice the way they interact and get along with other characters

Think about the relationships between the characters

Turn and Talk

How would you describe the relationships between the two main characters of your book?

KBAD use context clues

to find the meaning of new words.

Day 14

Context Clues

Everyday we read we come across words we do not know

It is important to push ourselves with high level texts so that we are introduced to new words

Turn and Talk

Why is it important to stop and think about new words we come across when reading?

KBAD make inferences about the setting and

characters.

Day 15

Making Inferences

The author of a book usually let's us use our imagination while we read

It is important to notice the clues they give to help us picture the setting and characters in our head

Turn and Talk

What clues in your independent reading book tell you about the setting of your story?

KBAD find evidence to support thinking.

Day 16

Find Evidence

It is important to have opinions about your book

You want to make sure that you find a sentence or two in your book to show why you feel a certain way

Turn and Talk

Why should you find evidence from your book to prove your opinion?

KBAD use quotations as evidence to

support thinking.

Day 17

Using Quotes

Quotes from your book are the best way to show how you formed your opinion

On page 45 the main character shows that he is brave. It says, "Justin walked into the haunted house ready to fight the ghost."

Turn and Talk

Why do good readers use quotes to support their opinions?

KBAD visualize using multiple senses.

Day 18

Visualizing

It is important to picture the story when you read

You want to pretend that movie is taking place

Imagine what you would see, smell, hear, feel, taste if you were a character in the book

Turn and Talk

What sounds would you hear if you were a character in your independent reading book?

KBAD summarize for the deeper meaning

of text.

Day 19

Summarizing

A summary should include the important things that happened in a chapter

This means that you should include the main character of your book, what they did and where they did it

Turn and Talk

What should be included in a good summary of your independent reading book?

KBAD revise our inferences as we read

and talk to others.

Day 20

Revise our Inferences

Good readers notice the inferences they made in the beginning in the book and whether they were wrong and right

As the author gives us more clues as we read our thinking changes

Turn and Talk

What has surprised you in your independent reading book? Did something unexpected happen?