Reading for Gist: More Than Anything Else | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G3:M1:U3:L1

Reading for Gist: More Than Anything Else

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
  • RL.3.2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
  • RL.3.3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can determine the gist of More Than Anything Else. (RL.3.1, RL.3.3)
  • I can identify the central message, lesson, or moral of More Than Anything Else. (RL.3.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.3)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Introducing the End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part II Prompt (10 minutes)

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading Aloud: More Than Anything Else (15 minutes)

B. Recounting the Story and Determining the Lesson: More Than Anything Else (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Opening A, students familiarize themselves with the End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part II Prompt in order to frame the unit, as well as provide a purpose for reading More Than Anything Else.
  • In Work Time A, students hear More Than Anything Else read aloud. This book focuses on the struggles Booker T. Washington faced when he wanted to learn to read. Be aware that while this book is set after the civil war, the reasons for Booker's challenging conditions are as a result of his first years spent enslaved and the challenges his family faced when the United States abolished slavery, which may be a sensitive issue for students who have a background of slavery in their family or culture. A time for silent reflection is provided after reading the book to give students time to process the connections they make with the story. Be aware that these connections may be personal, and students are not required to share them.
  • Students are not given any context before the read-aloud. Instead, context is provided as they complete the Recounting the Story note-catcher through an additional short text that will help students better understand the issue of access in this story.
  • This lesson is the first in a series of three that include built-out instruction for the use of Goal 2 Conversation Cues. Conversation Cues are questions teachers can ask students to promote productive and equitable conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. . Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). Goal 2 Conversation Cues encourage students to listen carefully to one another and seek to understand. Continue drawing on Goal 1 Conversation Cues, introduced in Unit 1, Lesson 3, and add Goal 2 Conversation Cues to more strategically promote productive and equitable conversation. As the modules progress, Goal 3 and 4 Conversation Cues are also introduced. See the Tools page for additional information on Conversation Cues. Consider providing students with a thinking journal or scrap paper. Examples of the Goal 2 Conversation Cues you will see in this unit and in Module 2, Unit 1 are (with expected responses):
    • To help students listen carefully to one another and seek to understand:

Teacher: "Who can repeat what your classmate said?"

Student: "She said _____."

Teacher: "Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?"

Student: "He was saying that _____."

  • Note that the student version of Goal 2 Conversation Cues (and expected student responses) are built into the Discussion Norms anchor chart in this lesson. Conversation Cues and discussion norms are similar in that they seek to foster productive and collaborative conversation. Furthermore, Conversation Cues aim to ensure equitable conversation by gradually building student capacity to become productive, collaborative participants. Goal 1 Conversation Cues focus on the fundamentals of encouraging students to talk and be understood, whereas Goal 2 encourages students to listen carefully to one another and seek to understand. Goals 3-4 take students to deeper levels of conversation, from deepening their thinking to thinking with others. Although some of the Goal 1 cues added to the Discussion Norms anchor chart during Unit 1 may seem similar, the cue added in this lesson should be used to help students reach Goal 2.
  • Throughout this unit, students revisit the module guiding question: "Why are education, books, and reading important?" In this lesson, they consider why reading is important to Booker, and to themselves. Some students may not think reading is important, particularly if they are from a culture where there isn't such a heavy emphasis on reading, so be sensitive to this. Continue to emphasize college and career readiness as the reason for this focus.
  • In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to become an ethical person. The characteristics they are reminded of specifically are respect, empathy, and compassion as they listen to a story that some students may find upsetting.
  • The research reading that students complete for homework will help build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to overcoming challenges in access to education, books, and reading near and far. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it.

How it builds on previous work:

  • In Units 1 and 2, students learned about the challenges some people around the world face with regard to access to education and books. This unit focuses on challenges some people face in reading.
  • Throughout Unit 1, students were introduced to various total participation techniques (e.g., cold calling, equity sticks, Turn and Talk, Think-Pair-Share, etc.). When following the directive "Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group," use one of these techniques or another familiar technique to encourage all students to participate.

Areas where students may need additional support:

  • Some students may need additional support filling out their Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else. Consider using technology to support those students. See Technology and Multimedia.

Assessment guidance:

  • Listen to student answers to questions and review note-catchers to ensure students understand the somebody, in, wanted, but, so of the story. Clarify where there are misconceptions.

Down the road:

  • In the next lesson, students closely read an excerpt from More Than Anything Else to identify the lesson, and then in Lesson 3 they write an informative paragraph describing the lesson and the details that support it in More Than Anything Else.

In Advance

  • Consider if any students may be sensitive to the issues that this book raises based on cultural background and family history. Consider explaining to families that this book will be read aloud to students so that they can appropriately prepare them and discuss it afterward.
  • This topic may be of particular interest to students who may like to read more about slavery and the Civil War. Consider identifying research reading books for students who would like to learn more about this topic.
  • Pre-determine triads for Work Time B.
  • Review the Think-Pair-Share and Thumb-O-Meter protocols. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets, Performance Task anchor chart, Overcoming Learning Challenges anchor chart, Experiences with Overcoming Challenges anchor chart, Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart, and Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B and Closing and Assessment: Students complete their Reading for Gist note-catchers in a word processing document--for example, a Google Doc--using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software like Dictation.io.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standard 3.I.B.6.

Important points in the lesson itself:

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to read and describe the characters in a complex, literary text. This will provide students with background knowledge and a framework for understanding the topic as they continue to discuss reading challenges.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to listen to and comprehend a story all the way through without stopping to check for comprehension. Stop periodically to check for comprehension. Reassure students that they need not understand every word in order to comprehend the gist of the text.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time A, invite students to generate their own sentence frames to use as they reflect after reading More Than Anything Else.
  • Before providing additional support throughout the lesson, observe student interaction and allow students to grapple. Provide supportive materials and suggestions only after students have grappled with the task and with the language. Observe the areas in which they have trouble to target appropriate support in future lessons.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, distribute a partially filled-in copy of Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else. This provides students with models for the kind of information they should enter, while relieving the volume of writing required. Refer to Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (example, for teacher reference) to determine which sections of the note-catcher to provide for students.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation: Since this lesson introduces Unit 3, provide varied representation that previews what students can expect in this unit (e.g., visual overview, student work samples from activities and assessments).
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: The focus of this lesson is to support students' comprehension of a new text, More Than Anything Else. For students who may need additional support with comprehension skills: Consider ways to support them as they grapple with this new text. Examples: Provide pre-written sticky notes with various options of the gist that they can match on Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement: The writing contract is a major assignment in this unit. However, the concept of a contract may not seem relevant to students since they may have never encountered one before. Help build context around contracts by providing real-life examples of times when adults write contracts (e.g., when accepting a job offer, buying a car, etc.) Tell students that writing and understanding contracts will be important life skills. 

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

  • contract (L)
  • abolished, enslaved (T)

Materials

  • Performance Task anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Overcoming Learning Challenges anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part II Prompt (one per student and one to display; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • More Than Anything Else (book; one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 2)
  • Experiences with Overcoming Challenges anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (from Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (one per student and one to display)
  • Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (example, for teacher reference)
  • More Than Anything Else: Context (one per student)
  • Reading for Gist Guide: More Than Anything Else (for teacher reference)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3; added to with students during Work Time B)
  • Discussion Norms anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
  • Strategies to Answer Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 3)

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Introducing the End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part II Prompt (10 minutes)

  • Focus students on the Performance Task anchor chart and remind them of what they will do at the end of this unit.
  • Focus students on the Overcoming Learning Challenges anchor chart. Remind them that so far they have looked at the challenges some people face in accessing education and books. Tell students that this unit will focus on the challenges some people face with reading and strategies to overcome those challenges.
  • Explain that in order to get there, students will first write a reading contract that describes the reading challenges they face and strategies for overcoming those challenges.
  • Distribute and display the End of Unit 3 Assessment, Part II Prompt. Select a volunteer to read it aloud.
  • Underline the word contract. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is a contract? What contracts have you heard of before?" (a written or spoken agreement--students may need to use a dictionary to work this out; they may have heard of their parents signing work contracts, or financial contracts like car loans and TV/phone service)

"What is the purpose of a contract?" (It explains that you agree to do something and whoever you agree to it with will expect you to do as you say and will hold you accountable.)

"Who are you making this contract with?" (teacher and families)

  • Emphasize that this is a commitment for students to use the strategies they describe to overcome their reading challenges.
  • Answer clarifying questions. 
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Provide a visual preview of the unit. Display student-created examples of the performance task and some of the work students will complete. This helps them prepare to accomplish each task. (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Check for comprehension by asking students to summarize and personalize the meaning of contract. (Example: "Can you explain, in your own words, what a contract is? How do you feel about making creating a learning contract with your teacher and your family?") (MMR)
  • Make the concept of contracts more relevant to students by discussing other times people use contracts in life (e.g., buying a house, accepting a job, etc.). Tell students that this is the first of many contracts they will make in their lives. (MME)
  • For ELLs: Be aware, when discussing contracts with families, that students' families will have varying capacity to be involved in their child's education due to economic, linguistic, cultural, and practical factors.

B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select a volunteer to read them aloud:
    • "I can determine the gist of More Than Anything Else."
    • "I can identify the central message, lesson, or moral of More Than Anything Else."
  • Remind students that the gist is what the text is mostly about and that the message, lesson, or moral is what the author wants you to take away from reading the text.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Check for comprehension by asking a student to share the meaning of gist in his or her own words. Call on a few more students to ask if they agree or disagree with the definition.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading Aloud: More Than Anything Else (15 minutes)

  • Tell students that they are going to begin this work on overcoming reading challenges by hearing about a boy who had reading challenges and overcame those challenges despite being in a challenging situation.
  • Display the cover of More Than Anything Else. Explain that this is a story about a real person called Booker T. Washington. Ask:

"Has anyone heard of Booker T. Washington? If so, what do you know about him?" (Responses will vary.)

  • While still displaying More Than Anything Else, complete a first read of the text, reading slowly, fluently, and with expression.
  • After reading, invite students to spend 5 minutes reflecting silently. Reflection can include thinking or writing/drawing on paper. Students must be silent when they do this, though.
  • Ask:

"What did this story make you think about?"

  • Invite students to begin reflecting.
  • After 5 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart and remind them specifically of respect, empathy, and compassion. Remind them that sometimes people make connections between stories and things from their own lives, or stories they have heard from their families and that this can be upsetting, so they need to remember to practice respect, empathy, and compassion.
  • Tell students they will now have the opportunity to share their reflections, if they would like to, with the whole group. Tell them that they need to be respectful as they listen to other students sharing. Explain that part of being respectful means treating others with care.
  • Invite students to share their reflections with the whole group, as they feel comfortable.
  • As students share out, capture any challenges students share on the Experiences with Overcoming Challenges anchor chart.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What questions do you have after hearing this story?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Booker is only nine years old, so why is he working in the salt mines? Why didn't students learn to read in school? Why would his whole community look up to him just for learning to read?)

  • Record student questions on the board and explain that as they dig deeper into the text they will try to answer these questions.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to recall a time when they demonstrated one of the qualities on the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Reteach terms as necessary. (Example: "When did you show compassion or empathy? What did you do, and why was it an example of compassion or empathy?") (MMR)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: While silently reflecting about the text, invite students to focus their thoughts by choosing one of several provided sentence frames. Invite the students to read the sentence frames aloud before beginning to reflect. Examples:
    • "This story reminded me of _____."
    • "This story made me think about a time when _____."
    • "This story inspired me because _____."
    • "This story made me feel _____."
    • "This character reminds me of Nasreen because _____." (MMAE)

B. Recounting the Story and Determining the Lesson: More Than Anything Else (25 minutes)

  • Move students into pre-determined triads and invite them to label themselves A, B, and C.
  • Focus students on Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. Remind them that finding the gist is one of the first things they do with a text to figure out what the text is mostly about.
  • Distribute and display Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else. Remind students that they used a note-catcher like this in Unit 1 when they read Waiting for the Biblioburro, Rain School, and Nasreen's Secret School.
  • Distribute More Than Anything Else: Context. Invite students to follow along, reading silently in their heads as you read it aloud. Read aloud the meaning of the bolded words as you come to them.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Do you have any questions about this text?" (Responses will vary.)

"What connections can you make between this text and More Than Anything Else?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Booker was once enslaved; he didn't learn to read and wasn't allowed to go to school or to learn to read or write; he has to work because his family has no money after slavery was abolished.)

  • Tell students they will now complete the Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story note-catcher, and they will use this text to help them better understand the challenges described in More Than Anything Else as they work.
  • Again show the cover of More Than Anything Else and invite students to record the title and author at the top of their note-catcher.
  • Point to the first row on the note-catcher (Someone).
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Who is the main character in this text?" (Booker)

  • Invite students to record this in the appropriate box on their note-catcher.
  • Guide students through rereading the text and filling out their note-catchers using the Reading for Gist Guide: More Than Anything Else (for teacher reference). Provide time for students to think and discuss with their triads before recording on their note-catcher. Refer to Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Focus whole group. Remind students that often when an author writes a book there is an important message that he or she wants you to take away or a lesson to learn. Remind students that sometimes the author explicitly states--or comes right out and says--the text's message or lesson. Other times, the message or lesson needs to be inferred from details in the text.
  • Tell students they are now going to participate in the Think-Pair-Share protocol with their triad. Remind them that they used this protocol in Units 1 and 2 and review as necessary. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Invite students to Think-Triad-Share, leaving adequate time for each partner to think, ask the question to their someone in their triad, and triad share:

"Use your note-catcher to think about what happened in this story. What message or lesson do you think the author wants you to learn and take away from this story?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Even when you have significant challenges that might try to keep you from your goals, reading is such an important skill that it is worth persevering and asking for help when you need it.)

  • As students share, capture appropriate responses on the board. Point out that there can often be more than one message or lesson. Refer to Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story: More Than Anything Else (example, for teacher reference) for suggestions. If students respond with a specific detail rather than a central lesson or message, help students understand the difference.
  • Encourage students to listen carefully and seek to understand one another (Goal 2 Conversation Cues). Tell them to use this new cue to repeat or paraphrase (repeat using their own words) their classmates' ideas about the message or lesson:

"Let me make sure I understand. You're saying that _____?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Why is it useful to repeat or paraphrase what a classmate said? (Repeating shows that we are listening carefully and that we heard exactly what a classmate said. Paraphrasing shows that we are listening carefully and that we are attempting to understand what a classmate said.)

  • Tell students that this new cue will be added to the Discussion Norms anchor chart today. Focus students' attention on the Discussion Norms anchor chart and add the cue. See Discussion Norms anchor chart (example, for teacher reference). Ensure students understand how to use these cues.
  • Focus students on the last box on their note-catcher. Invite them to choose one message or lesson to record in this box. Tell students that in the next lesson they will closely read an excerpt of this story to identify details that convey this message or lesson.
  • Tell students they are going to use the Thumb-O-Meter protocol to reflect on their progress toward the learning targets. Remind them that they participated in this protocol in Unit 2 and review as necessary. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through the Thumb-O-Meter protocol using the learning targets. Note students showing a thumb-sideways or thumb-down, so you can check in with them. Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they showed respect, empathy, and compassion.
  • For ELLs: Create heterogeneous language proficiency triads. Assign at least one advanced proficiency or native language speaker to each group, and if possible, one beginning and one intermediate proficiency student. If students share the same home language, group them together. Advanced proficiency students can serve as a model and facilitate the discussion. Students who share the same home language can help each other interpret and comprehend content.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with new vocabulary: Discuss the meaning of the word context. Explain that context is the "bigger picture" that helps us understand what we see when we look closer. To illustrate this concept, consider displaying a close-up photograph of something recognizable such as a leaf, which is unrecognizable when zoomed in too close. Ask students what they think it is. Then display a zoomed-out picture of the same leaf. (MMR)
  • This text may be above some students' independent reading levels. Consider offering an audio recording of the text to remove barriers to comprehension. (MMR, MMAE)
  • For students who may need additional support with fine motor skills: Offer choice with the Reading for Gist and Recounting the Story note-catcher by providing a template that includes lines. (MMR, MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Focus students on the questions they recorded on the board at the beginning of the lesson after hearing the story for the first time.
  • Invite students to show a thumbs-up if they can answer one of the questions now. Select volunteers to erase those questions from the board.
  • Record any remaining questions. If these questions require specific research, invite students to do this or do it yourself to share with students in the next lesson.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What strategies did you use today to help you read this text? How did these strategies help you to better understand the text?" (Responses will vary.)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: Read the questions they recorded at the beginning of the lesson aloud and allow additional wait time for students to think of answers and additional questions. (MMAE)
  • Consider having students discuss answers to the questions with a partner first to minimize the risk of speaking in front of the entire class and also to give all students a chance to engage in the discussion. (MMAE)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt and respond in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need support with writing: Discuss and respond to your prompts orally, either with a partner, family member, or student from Grades 1 or 2, or record a response. (MMAE)

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