Writing an Exemplar
Reading Lesson Grades 3-5
MDCPS
Division of
Language Arts/Reading
November 2012
Purpose of Common Standards
• To improve U.S. educational attainment
by focusing schools on higher learning
goals
• To standardize educational opportunity
• To focus attention on fewer, higher, better
standards (more on outcomes than on
processes)
What Makes These Standards Special?
 Independent analysis indicates that they are
more rigorous/demanding than the standards of
37 States
 Internationally benchmarked
 Include all grades (K-12) and emphasize
disciplinary literacy
 Increased stress on expository text, critical
reading, and use of technology
 Recognizes importance of text difficulty and the
value of canonical text
Miami-Dade’s
Florida’s
Common Core State
Standards Implementation Timeline
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
BL
(3rd)
Let’s Explore
The Common Core!
Evidence
Main Idea
Interaction
Vocabulary
Structure
Point of View
Multiple Media
N/A
Multiple Text
Text Complexity
reason/support
Pacing Guides
Considerations of Text Complexity
Quantitative Measures
• Readability Measures (like Lexile)
– Word frequency - < less common words = more complex
< more common words = less complex
– Syntactic complexity - < % of longer sentences = more complex
<% of shorter sentences = less complex
Qualitative Measures and Reader Task
–
–
–
–
Structure (both story structure or form of piece)
Language clarity and conventions – syntax (including vocabulary load)
Knowledge demands (life, content, cultural/literacy)
Levels of meaning/purpose
Broad Spectrum Measures
– Academic orientation – Information vs. Narrative
– Cohesion – techniques the author uses to tie text together
(repeated phrases vs. more abstract words)
– Word maturity – degrees of abstract multiple meaning words (e.g. ground,
earth or soil, to grind, or “no grounds” for an argument, or being “Well
grounded”
Quantitative Evaluation
Common Scale for
Band
Old Lexile Range
Common Core
Lexile Range
K- 1ST
NA
NA
2nd – 3rd
450-725
450-790
4th – 5th
645-845
770-980
ONLY
QUANTITATIVE
MEASURE
INCLUDED
BOTH
QUANTITATIVE
AND QUALITATIVE
MEASURES
INCLUDED THAT
MAKES THE
BROAD SPECTRUM
Exemplar Texts….
 Text samples provided to demonstrate the
level of complexity and quality the CCSS
require (Appendix B)
 Choices serve as guideposts in helping
teachers select similar complexity, quality
and range for their own classrooms
 They are not a partial or complete reading
list.
Sample Performance Tasks for 3rd Grade
Stories /Poetry
Informational Text
Poppleton in
Winter by
Cynthia Rylant;
Illustrated by
Mark Teague
Students explain how Mark
Teague’s illustrations contribute to
what is conveyed in Cynthia
Rylant’s Poppleton in Winter to
create the mood and emphasize
aspects of characters and setting
in the story.RL.3.7
Lincoln: A
Photobiography
by Russell
Freedman
Students explain how the main idea that
Lincoln had “many faces” in Russell
Freedman’s Lincoln: A Photobiography is
supported by key details in the text.
RI.3.2
The Secret
Garden by
Frances
Hodgson
Burnett
Students explain the selfish
behavior by Mary and make
inferences regarding the impact
of the cholera outbreak in Frances
Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret
Garden by explicitly referring to
details and examples from the
text. RL.4.1
Discovering
Mars: The
Amazing Story of
the Red Planet
by Melvin Berger
Students explain how Melvin Berger uses
reasons and evidence in his book
Discovering Mars: The Amazing Story of
the Red Planet to support particular
points regarding the topology of the
planet. RI.4.8
Black Stallion
by Walter Farley
Students describe how the
narrator’s point of view in Walter
Farley’s The Black Stallion
influences how events are
described and how the reader
perceives the character of
Alexander Ramsay, Jr. RL.5.6
Horses by
Seymour Simon
and
Hurricanes:
Earth’s Mightiest
Storms by
Patricia Lauber
Students identify the overall structure of
ideas, concepts, and information in
Seymour Simon’s Horses (based on
factors such as their speed and color) and
compare and contrast that scheme to the
one employed by Patricia Lauber in her
book Hurricanes: Earth’s Mightiest
Storms. RI.5.5
In order to teach Blending
NGSSS and CCSS……
Ramp Up the Rigor by using what we have
learned from Common Core and the upcoming
PARCC expectations:
• Use texts with more complex meaning
• Plan more deeply emphasizing student self
discovery through guided text sequential
questioning and written response
• Construct performance tasks that require
knowledge of multiple benchmarks to
synthesize and analyze.
Paradigm Shift of Instruction
The more students wrestle
with complex text the more
comprehension muscle
they build
Close Analytic Read
Rules of the Road
• The text is the expert – not the teacher
– Foster student confidence and independence by
having students reread the passage, consult
illustrations.
•
Student support is in pairs, small groups and whole
class settings.
– Structured time for collaboration and discussion will
help students process and internalize the skill(s).
• Goal is total understanding of text.
– Don’t rush through – have patience with a slower
learning process that is required by the standards
and format of instruction. (Close Analytic Reading)
Close Analytic Read
Rules of the Road
• In primary grades, Close Analytic Reads are
accomplished through Read Alouds/Think
Alouds and are expected.
• Front-loading should be done judiciously.
– The content should be embedded both in the text
and illuminated by the discussion questions,
writing activities, and extension activities.
• Selected text should enhance student
literacy – based exercises and allow them
to practice analyzing content based themes.
Close Analytic
Read
Rules of the Road
Close analytic reading of exemplar text should include:
• Learning Objectives – 4-5 days on an exemplar text
• Reading Tasks – independence is the goal through
multiple encounters with the text, carefully planned and
sequenced questioning with answers that are always
evidenced in text.
• Discussion/Language/Vocabulary Tasks – activities
that encourage discussion, inferring meaning from
context, and attention to academic language. High value
words should be discussed and lingered over during the
instructional sequence.
Close Analytic Read
Rules of the Road
• Sentence Syntax Tasks – Engage students in a
close examination of complex sentences to discover
how they are built and how they convey meaning.
Unpacking complex text focuses on both the
precise meaning of what the author is saying and
why the author might have constructed the
sentence in a particular fashion.
• Writing Tasks – Students may paraphrase,
synthesize ideas, support opinions, or explain
relationships in a culmination activity to
organize and make sense of their thinking and
learning.
Let’s Read
Qualitative Evaluation
Category
Structure
(both story structure or form of piece)
Language Demands and
Conventions
(including vocabulary load and sentence
structure)
Knowledge Demands
(life, content, cultural/literary )
Levels of Meaning/Purpose
Notes and Comments on Text
You don’t know what you’ve got until you have
read the Text. The text is the Expert!
What can be taught ?
Theme/topic
Main Idea
Text Features
Text Structure
Cause/effect
Simile/metaphor/personificatio
n/
hyperbole
Descriptive language/mood
Analyze words in text
Words in context
Synonyms
Affixes
Multiple meanings
Plot development
Problem/resolution
Character Development
Character point of view
Why is this text
worthy of deep
teaching?
1
2
3
2a
4
6
5
6a
5
Characteristics of a Legend
• Legends are fictional stories.
Told as though they are true
• Usually there is some historical truth
at the heart of every legend.
A story from the past about a
subject that was, or is believed
to have been, historical
but not always factual
• Heroes perform great deeds with
their strength and their intelligence.
• Exaggeration is usually involved in
blends fact with
retelling their deeds. Often
improbable elements
• Heroes often give up dreams of
happiness to help others.
Guiding question-
What is the evidence of the elements of a legend are
found in the story?
Remember the Close Analytical Read focuses on Vocabulary
and Sentence Syntax through Thinking Aloud for the
students.
heroic
Soldier
brave
Superman
courageous police officer
Lassie
daring
Pulling
bold
someone out
the water
Risking your
life to save
35
someone
excited
proud
grateful
want to do
the same
thing
shocked
“Did you see
that?”
“That was
incredible!”
Tell others
Write
about it
“Wow”
Take
pictures
Thank you
Try to help
Explain how the actions in the story reveal the true personalities of
the characters- Old Man, Yone, Villagers and the Sea.
What “Character Traits” is
supported/evidenced by the text for
each character?
Explain how the actions in the story reveal the true personalities of
the characters- Old Man, Yone, Villagers and the Sea.
Actions speak louder than words!
 Look at the character that has been
assigned to you. (NO
SWITCHING!)
 The grandfather, Yone, the villagers,
the sea
 Think about how the feeling word
you have been assigned relates to
the character.
Complete the sentence:
was/were
when
How does the author create different moods
throughout the story of _________________?
Setting
The old man’s
house overlooking
the village and sea.
The sea rose to the
sky!
The rice fields blazing
with fierce black smoke
rising in the sky.
Mood
content
Proof/
Evidence
Everything
was good.
the good old
man
Rich ground
Growing
food for the
village
below.
Boy loved
the rice
fields & liked
to help.
suspense
panic
Watching the wall of
water overcome the
village.
shock
or
gratitude
Guiding Question:
Explain how the setting and
mood contribute to the
outcome of the story.
Guiding
Questions:
Explain why you
drew the
symbols that
you did. What
do they
represent?
Think about the events that occurred before and after the incident with the rice fields.
Draw symbols of Yone’s thoughts and feelings. You may also use words if you need to.
On an index card explain why you drew the symbols that you did. What do they
represent?
Performance Task for Burning of the Rice Field
After reading The Burning of the Rice Fields, describe in
depth the character of Yone using specific details from
the legend, from the time he helped his grandfather
watch over the rice field to the time the villagers
honored grandfather.
Performance Task for Burning of the Rice
Field
After reading The Burning of the Rice Fields,
tell about
young boy
everything you know
describe in depth the character of Yone using
exact
story
specific details from the legend, from the
beginning
what he said,
what he did
what
grandfather
said and did
time he helped his grandfather watch over
the rice field to the time the villagers
throughout the story to the end
honored grandfather.
After reading The Burning of the Rice Fields,
describe in depth the character of Yone using
specific details from the legend, from the time
he helped his grandfather watch over the rice
field to the time the villagers honored Beginning:
Yone is happy.
-helping his grandfather watch the rice
fields
-loved grandfather & rice fields
-knew how important the job was –
it provided food
Middle : Yone was confused and upset.
-grandfather yelled to bring fire
-obeyed anyway.
-upset when he was told to burn their
food source
- sobbed but obeyed
-cried to the villagers about what old man
had done
End: Yone was proud.
he watched the tidal wave in silence because
-the damage was so bad
-he was safe
-happy he obeyed grandfather- a smart and quick
thinking man
After reading The Burning of the Rice Fields,
describe in depth the character of Yone using
specific details from the legend, from the time
he helped his grandfather watch over the rice
field to the time the villagers honored
Beginning: Yone is happy
-helping his grandfather watch the rice
fields
-loved grandfather & rice fields
-knew how important the job was –
it provided food
Middle : Yone was confused and upset.
-grandfather yelled to bring fire
-obeyed anyway.
-upset when he was told to burn their
food source
- sobbed but obeyed
-cried to the villagers about what old man
had done
End: Yone was proud
he watched the tidal wave in silence because
-the damage was so bad
-he was safe
-happy he obeyed grandfather- a smart and quick
thinking man
Now it’s YoUR tURN to plaN
for an exemplar lesson
Time for you to plan
for a Reading Lesson
using complex text…
Complex Text we will be
UsiNg…..
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Seeing Eye to Eye
Fifth Grade
Steps for planning a Close Analytic Read
of Complex Text
Step One: Identify the Core Understandings and Key
Ideas of the Text
Step Two: Start Small to Build Confidence
Step Three: Target Vocabulary and Text Structure
Step Four: Tackle Tough Section Head On
Step Five: Create Coherent Sequences of Text
Dependent Questions
Step Six: Identify the Standards being Addressed
Step Seven: Create the Culminating Assessment
plaNNiNg tools NEEDED…..
Cognitive Complexity Levels
Low Complexity
One step problem
Recall
Observe
Question
Represent basic
facts
Demonstrate
simple skills or
abilities
Basic
understanding of
text
Verbatim recall
Simple
understanding of a
word or phrase
Moderate
Complexity
Two step problem:
comprehension &
subsequent
processing of text
Summarize
Infer
Classify
Gather
Organize
Compare
Display
Possibly
Explain
Describe
Interpret
High Complexity
Heavy demands on student
thinking
Analyze & synthesize
information
Explain
Generalize
Multiple Connections
Requires several steps
involving abstract reasoning
and planning
Support thinking
Identifying theme
Implicit main idea
Making complex inferences
within/across texts
Take information from
minimum one portion of text
& apply to ne information to
a new task
Perform complex analyses of
connections among texts
plaNNiNg tools NEEDED…..
Task Cards
•
Revised 3-5
FCAT Task
Cards
•
Grade 3
Blended
(FCAT/CCSS)
Task Cards
Step 1
Step 2
Step 2a
Steps
3&4
Step 5
• Step One: Identify the Core
Understandings and Key Ideas
of the Text
• Step Two: Start Small to Build
Confidence
• Step Three: Target Vocabulary
and Text Structure
• Step Four: Tackle Tough
Section Head On
• Step Five: Create Coherent
Sequences of Text Dependent
Questions
• Step Six: Identify the Standards
being Addressed
• Step Seven: Create the
Culminating Assessment
Sentence
Step 6
Step 6a
What lessons are you going to teach to address your plan???
BREAK IT APART for 10 days…
Day ___
Focus Standard:
_________________
Day ___
Focus Standard:
_________________
Day ___
Focus Standard:
_________________
Day ___
Focus Standard:
_________________
Purpose for Reading:
Purpose for Reading:
Purpose for Reading:
Purpose for Reading:
Activity:
Activity:
Activity:
Activity:
Guiding Question:
Guiding Question:
Guiding Question:
Guiding Question:
Day ___
Focus Standard:
_________________
Purpose for Reading:
Activity:
Guiding Question:
Let’s Reflect…
Think about…
the Performance Task Question…
1. Do your lessons lead up to a TOTAL
understanding of the text?
2. Will your students be able to answer
the Performance Task Question
INDEPENDENTLY?