Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [Before the Read]
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [Before the Read]
All of us come to our reading community with
different interests, identities, and strengths as
readers. Who we are affects what we read! Our
reading lives are made up of different kinds of
texts, various purposes for reading, and a range
of ways that we carve out reading time. What we
read fills our reading baskets. Something we are
going to pay attention to this year is the variety
in our reading baskets! One way that we create
variety is by reading across different genres.
Today we are going to read a book by Amy Hest,
who is an author who writes in a variety of
genres. When “When Jessie Came Across the
Sea” is in the genre of historical fiction. Historical
fiction stories are based on historical time
periods. As we read historical fiction, we consider
what we are learning about the time period, as
well as what questions or thoughts we have
about the characters and events. Today you will
turn and talk with your partners and stop-and-jot
to pay attention to your thoughts, all while
learning about Jessie’s incredible voyage!
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [During the Read]
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [During the Read]
Read aloud the first page of the text.
I think that only boys typically went to school and
learned with the rabbi. I think it is amazing that
Jessie’s grandmother believes it is important for
her to learn to read and write. It doesn’t seem
like this was common during this time period,
which is so different from life nowadays. I will jot
this note: Grandma wants Jessie to read and
write-amazing!
I think that this story takes place a long time
ago, somewhere far away from the United
States. Let me jot that down on a sticky note.
Place the note on the page.
Jessie and her grandmother live together in a
small village.
Jot this on a sticky note. Read the second page and
pause.
Continue reading aloud, stopping after reading
about the rabbi’s decision to send Jessie to America.
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [During the Read]
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [During the Read]
I think I’d be scared to travel alone. She is young,
but it doesn’t seem so strange for that era.
Read through the page ending “…that coat was
grant.”
Jot this thought on a sticky note and place it on the
page. Read through the next page.
Jessie uses the skills her grandmother taught her
to help make her way on the ship.
I think Jessie wants her grandmother to keep her
mother’s ring safe because the trip will be
dangerous and she is afraid she might not survive
it.
Jot a note. Read through the page ending “I
forgot to say good-bye.”
Jot this thought on a sticky note.
I think it is remarkable that Jessie’s grandmother
made sure she had the skills she needed when
she arrived at Ellis Island.
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [During the Read]
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [After the Read]
Jot a note. Continue reading aloud, stopping to
model with “I think” starters at key moments.
Strop a few times to allow students to turn and
talk to partners and stop-and-jot on sticky
notes in their Reader’s Notebook.
Now that we are finished, I am going to write one last
note about my thinking. At the end of the book, I often
step back and ask: Now what do I think about the story
as a whole? In other words, what ideas am I left
thinking about?
Pause and reflect, then write on a sticky note as you think
aloud:
Jessie’s bravery and her grandmother’s wisdom really
helped them have a new life.
Now I would like each of you to do a stop-and-jot using
“I think…” on a sticky note.
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [After the Read]
Lesson 3 :: Crafting a Reading Life
When Jessie Came Across the Sea [After the Read]
Allow students time to write their responses.
Help students negotiate how to converse without raising
their hands. Encourage them to let each other speak.
Afterward say:
Turn to your partners to share your thinking.
Allow time for students to do this.
During read-alouds, we will have conversations where
we share and develop our thinking. We will not raise
our hands, but we will speak one at a time. That
means we have to sit so that we can face each other
and watch the conversation closely, like when a ball is
thrown from person to person. Let’s discuss our
thinking about the book.
We will continue to work on our conversational skills
together during this unit and this year!