Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Stone Girl, Bone Girl, Pages 5–8 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M2:U1:L4

Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Stone Girl, Bone Girl, Pages 5–8

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
  • RL.2.2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
  • RL.2.3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
  • RL.2.5: Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.
  • RL.2.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
  • W.2.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • SL.2.2: Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
  • L.2.4b: Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can answer questions about a character's response in the text Stone Girl, Bone Girl. (RL.2.1, RL.2.3, RL.2.7, W.2.8)
  • I can retell the beginning of Stone Girl, Bone Girl using important details about events and characters. (SL.2.2, RL.2.2, RL.2.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Time A and the Closing, use the Reading Literature Checklist (RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.5, RL.2.7, SL.2.2) to track students' progress toward these reading standards (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During Work Time A, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to track students' progress.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Pinky Partners: Habits of Character (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Stone Girl, Bone Girl, Pages 5-8 (25 minutes)

B. Speaking and Listening: Retelling the Beginning (10 minutes)

C. Recording Our Thinking: Retelling the Beginning (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Exit Ticket: Selected Response #2 (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In the Opening, students review these habits of character: perseverance and initiative. Having a strong understanding of these habits of character is important because students use that understanding and apply it to situations presented by the main character of the close read-aloud.
  • This is the third of six lessons in a series of close read-alouds of the text Stone Girl, Bone Girl. In this lesson, students learn about character responses and begin a chart to track Mary Anning's responses to challenges in her life. (RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.5, RL.2.7)
  • In Work Time B, students practice retelling the beginning of the book (pages 1-8) to build mastery toward SL.2.2, RL.2.2, and RL.2.5. Students move from orally retelling the story to writing the retelling. Students repeat this process a few times before completing a chart for this story and the Unit 1 Assessment text.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students use the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart to reinforce their understanding of perseverance and initiative.
  • Students continue practicing important skills (retelling, selected response questions) to build confidence in preparation for the Unit 1 Assessment.
  • Continue to use Goal 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • In Work Time C, students write their retelling on an organizer. Students who are uncomfortable with writing may find this task challenging. It may be helpful to show those students how to write in shorthand or notes rather than writing out full sentences.
  • During the Closing, students independently answer a selected response question. Before the answer is revealed, assure students that incorrect answers are okay because making mistakes is part of learning something new and they will have time to practice over the next several lessons.

Down the road:

  • Students will review the beginning and retell the middle of the story as a class and as partners. This serves as a time to collect initial data on SL.2.2.
  • On the Unit 1 Assessment, students will answer selected response questions about a new story. Support them in the process of answering an SRQ so they are able to apply their skills to a new story.

In Advance

  • Preview the Close Read-aloud Guide: Stone Girl, Bone Girl to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students. Note that the Close Read-aloud Guide is divided into sessions. Complete only Session 3 in this lesson, as students will complete the remaining sessions in Lessons 5-7.
  • Create story pictures #2 and #3 by making an 81/2-by-11-inch copy of the pictures on pages 5 and 7 of Stone Girl, Bone Girl. Frances Lincoln, publisher of Stone Girl, Bone Girl, has granted permission to make facsimiles of pages or use brief quotes, in context, for classroom use. No adaptation or changes in the text or illustration may be made without approval of Frances Lincoln. The following credit must be used: From Stone Girl, Bone Girl by Laurence Anholt, illustrated by Sheila Moxley. Copyright (c) 1999 Laurence Anholt and Sheila Moxley.
  • Pre-determine pairs for the retelling activity in Work Time B.
  • Review the Pinky Partners and Role-Play protocols. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets, "Learning Target" poem, and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson materials.

  • Opening: Record students as they participate in the Pinky Partners protocol to review later to discuss strengths and what they could improve on or to use as models for the group. Most devices (cellphones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Work Time B: Record several pairs of students as they retell the narrative using story pictures #1-3 to listen to later as models for the group. Most devices (cellphones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Work Time C: Students complete the Beginning section of the BME graphic organizer using a word-processing tool--for example, a Google Doc.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.B.5, 2.I.B.6, 2.I.B.7, 2.I.B.8, and 2.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by providing multiple opportunities to practice retelling a story. The various modalities used to practice retelling in the lesson (visual, auditory, oral, writing) provide multiple entry points for students.
  • ELLs may find the retelling process challenging. They may struggle with appropriate length, important details, and writing. Consider creating a concrete scaffold to support students with this process. For example, provide sentence frames to prompt important details for each section of the retell. (Example: "The important characters are __________." "The setting is _________.")

Levels of support:

For lighter support:

  • In preparation for the unit assessment and for the investigation of past tense verbs in Unit 3, focus students on irregular past tense verbs (examples: spent, knelt, bent) during the close read-aloud of Stone Girl, Bone Girl in Work Time A. Create a "Now and Then" T-chart, writing these verbs in the present and irregular past tense forms for students to reference as they incorporate them into their retellings throughout the unit. Continue identifying irregular past tense verbs throughout the unit and add them to the "Now and Then" T-chart.

For heavier support:

  • In Work Time B, model using the laminated dots from Lesson 3. Write "In the beginning" at the top of the first laminated dot. The laminated dots may also support student writing, as their layout mimics the BME student organizer.
  • Consider providing reading phones, a reading and speech practice tool, to students as they write or sketch in the graphic organizer. Reading phones allow students to hear themselves as they say their retell aloud, without others hearing them, lowering anxiety that might come with attempting this new skill.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In Work Time B, students participate in an oral retelling of the beginning of the story. Some may need more time to process information or have memory difficulties. Offer alternatives for auditory information by scribing the key details used for this retelling. (Example: Write "Characters," "Setting," and "What Might Happen" on chart paper or a white board to support listening strategy development.)
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In Work Time A, students listen to a close read-aloud of a familiar text, Stone Girl, Bone Girl. As you prepare them for this close read-aloud, provide options for physical action and sensory input by differentiating seating (e.g., sitting on a gym ball, a move-and-sit cushion, or a chair with a resistive elastic band wrapped around the legs).
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): In Work Time C, students record the beginning of the story on the BME graphic organizer. Some may need additional support with reading or recalling the bulleted prompts for what to include in their writing. When introducing this independent writing task, foster collaboration and community by providing prompts that guide students in knowing when and how to ask classmates or teachers for help. (Example: "While you are writing today, you might forget what the heading says to include in your writing of the beginning of the story. That is okay! First, try your best to sound out the words under 'In the beginning.' If you are still stuck, there are many people in the room to help you. You can ask a classmate or raise your hand for a teacher to help you read the directions.")

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • challenges (L)

Review:

  • setting (L)

Materials

  • "Learning Target" poem (from Module 1; one to display)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Pinky Partners Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Close Read-aloud Guide: Stone Girl, Bone Girl (Session 3; for teacher reference)
    • Stone Girl, Bone Girl (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
    • Reading Literature Checklist (RL.2.1, RL.2.2, RL.2.3, RL.2.5, RL.2.7) (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
    • Role-Play Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
    • Mary's Challenges anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Work Time A; see supporting materials)
  • BME graphic organizer (one per student and one to display)
  • Story picture #1 (from Lesson 3)
  • Story picture #2 (one to display)
  • Story picture #3 (one to display)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Strategies for Answering Selected Response Questions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Exit Ticket: Selected Response #2 (one per student)

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. 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. Pinky Partners: Habits of Character (10 minutes)

  • Gather students in the whole group area.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
    • "I can answer questions about a character's response in the text Stone Girl, Bone Girl."
  • Tell students they will be responding to questions about the text using details from the pictures and the text, as well as their knowledge of perseverance and initiative.
  • Invite students to take out their imaginary bow and take aim at the target as you recite the "Learning Target" poem aloud.
  • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and invite them to review the definitions of perseverance and initiative with a partner.
  • Tell students they are going to use the Pinky Partners protocol to talk about the habits of character. Remind them that they used this protocol in Module 1 and review as necessary using the Pinky Partners Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through the protocol using the following prompts:
    • "Describe a time you have shown perseverance."
    • "Describe a time you have shown initiative."
  • After a few rounds, invite students to give their partner a high-five or a handshake before taking a seat.
  • Tell students you heard lots of ways people showed perseverance and initiative. (Example: "Leela said she showed perseverance when she kept learning how to ride a bike even after falling off and getting hurt.")
  • Challenge students to think about how Mary Anning shows the habits of character during the close read-aloud today.
  • For ELLs and students who need additional support: Before beginning the protocol, support students' effective communication by making a connection to a previous discussion of the habits (perseverance and initiative). In doing so, students will be able to recall the examples discussed and connect those to their own experiences. (MME)
  • For ELLs: Model the turn-and-talk sentence frames to prompt discussion. Invite students to use the frames. Note that these sentence frames also support the when conjunction used in selected response questions in the Unit 1 Assessment. Examples:
    • "I showed perseverance when ____."
    • "I saw ______ showing initiative when ___."

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Stone Girl, Bone Girl, Pages 5-8 (25 minutes)

  • Guide students through the close read-aloud for Stone Girl, Bone Girl using the Close Read-aloud Guide: Stone Girl, Bone Girl (Session 3; for teacher reference). Consider using the Reading Literature Checklist during the close read-aloud (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Refer to the guide for the use of the Role-Play Protocol and Mary's Challenges anchor charts.
  • To support students' clarity and comprehension of the verb respond, provide examples of responding that are familiar to students. Examples:

"How do we respond when we hear the fire alarm?"

"How does the crowd respond when a player makes a last-minute shot in basketball?"

"How do people respond to a funny joke?" (MMR)

  • For ELLs: Ask students to describe the curiosities Mary found with her "sharp eyes," on page 7, using adjectives from the text (tiny, shiny, marble, big, straight, delicate). Invite students to close their eyes and visualize these curiosities, sharing in Mary's excitement. Remind students that visualizing in this way can be a powerful strategy for remembering important information. Add these adjectives to the Adjectives Construction board.

B. Speaking and Listening: Retelling the Beginning (10 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:
    • "I can retell the beginning of Stone Girl, Bone Girl using important details about events and characters."
  • Invite students to stand as they read the target aloud together. After reading, have students take their seats again.
  • Underline the word retell. Draw a line between "re-" and "tell."
  • Remind students that parts of words can help us know what that word means.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does the word retell mean? How do you know?" (Retell means to tell again; I know because "re-" means "again.")

  • Tell students that retelling a story (or part of it) takes practice and perseverance because it can be tricky.
  • Remind students that a good retelling includes the important details about events and characters in the story.
  • Display the BME graphic organizer and story pictures #1, #2, and #3.
  • Point to the "In the beginning" column on the BME graphic organizer.
  • Tell students that, in a moment, they will retell the beginning of the story to a partner. Remind them that the beginning of a story is when the reader learns who the characters are, the setting (where the story takes place), and a little bit about what might happen in the story.
  • Model an example of a retelling that is just right, using story pictures #1, #2, and #3 to guide you. Say:

"As a baby, Mary Anning was hit by lightning, but she lived. That is how her dad knew she was special. She and her dad were friends, and he would take her to the cliffs and tell her stories of how dangerous they are. One day, her dad took her to the beach and found a curiosity. Mary loved it so much she couldn't stop thinking about it. She went out all the time to search for her own curiosities, even though kids made fun of her. In the winter, Mary stayed inside because the cliffs were too dangerous and her dad was sick."

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

"What did you notice I included in my 'just-right' retelling?" (important events, important characters, not too much detail)

  • If students have not mentioned it, emphasize that all of the important events were told in the correct order.
  • Move students into pre-determined pairs and invite them to label themselves A and B. Tell students:
  • Partner A will retell the beginning of the story using story pictures #1, #2, and #3.
  • Partner B will listen carefully.
  • Partners will reverse roles.
  • Circulate to support students. Consider using the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress as they retell the beginning of the story. If necessary, prompt them to think through important details that were missed or unimportant details that were included and to try again.

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As time permits, use a total participation technique to invite responses from the group:

"What helped you give a good retelling?" (using the pictures, thinking about what is really important, picturing the book in my head)

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:
  • Before students orally retell the beginning of the story with a partner, highlight the utility and relevance of this activity by linking it to Work Time C, when students will write the beginning of the story. Say: "After we retell the beginning with a partner, you will write the beginning on your own BME graphic organizer." (MME)
  • For ELLs: Display the "Now and Then" class T-chart of irregular past tense verbs. Point out the word found in the modeled retell and write it on the "Then" section of the T-chart. Tell students found is the way to say find a long time ago, or in the past. On the "Now" side of the T-chart, write find. Provide a sentence frame for students to practice using this word. Example: "Mary felt ______ when she found a curiosity." Ask students to notice other tricky words in that sentence that don't follow the -ed rule (felt) and add them to the "Now and Then" T-chart.
  • For ELLs: Invite students to count three or four details on their fingers to ensure their retell is "just right." Encourage them to think about the information they are using in their retell. Ask: "Is this the most important information needed to understand the story? What don't I need to say?"

C. Recording Our Thinking: Retelling the Beginning (10 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the BME graphic organizer.
  • Tell students that, sometimes, writing a retelling can help a teacher see your thinking if he or she didn't get a chance to hear you.
  • Share with students that it may seem hard to write a retelling, but all they have to do is write what they say!
  • Model beginning an oral retelling. Say: "As a baby, Mary was hit by lightning, but she lived."
  • Model writing the event in the beginning section of the BME graphic organizer.
  • Tell students that it may help them to write if they say their retelling to themselves.
  • Transition students back to their workspaces.
  • Distribute the BME graphic organizers.
  • Invite students to begin writing their retelling of the beginning of the story.
  • Circulate to support students as they write. Teach them to say their retelling aloud in small chunks, so they can transfer it to paper. Help students recall the events by directing them toward the story pictures.
  • Give students a 1-minute warning to finish up their writing. If they finish early, invite them to sketch a picture to go with their writing.
  • Invite students to store their graphic organizer in the designated area. Tell them that they will continue practicing how to retell a story orally and through writing in the next lesson.
  • For ELLs: Tell students that the graphic organizer is similar to the laminated dots they have been using to retell. Demonstrate retelling while standing in the first dot, and then writing what was said with a wet erase marker. This will support students with the orientation of the BME student organizer. Tell students that even though there are three laminated dots, only the first one was used today. Explain that their work in the BME student organizer will be the same, and assure them that they will write in the second and third sections over the next few days.
  • To support students' expressive skills and strategic thinking, prepare copies of the BME graphic organizers with scaffolds for organization and expression of information. Examples:
    • Include picture supports to identify beginning, middle, and end, such as a dog or other familiar animal (head above "In the beginning," body above "In the middle," and tail above "In the end").
    • Provide index cards with information from the story. Invite students to select the cards that represent the beginning of the story, and then use the selected cards for reference in writing on their BME graphic organizer. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Exit Ticket: Selected Response #2 (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the Strategies for Answering Selected Response Questions anchor chart.
  • Remind them that after they read the question carefully, they can try one of the strategies to help them answer the selected response questions.
  • Encourage students to show perseverance if this seems challenging and to ask for help if they need it.
  • Distribute Exit Ticket: Selected Response #2 and follow the same process from Lesson 3 to:
    • Read the question aloud.
    • Provide 1 minute of independent think time.
    • Invite students to choose an answer.
    • Announce the answer. (B, excited)
    • Debrief by asking students what helped them to answer the question.
  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example and to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on showing perseverance by trying a new strategy to answer the question. (Example: "You made sure your answer was correct by going back to the text to find the answer.")
  • To activate background knowledge, invite students to recall textual evidence of how Mary felt as they complete the exit ticket. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: Invite students to use visualization in addition to the selected response strategy they choose, recalling important information from the text as they answer the question.

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