Sample Close Reading Lesson
Stimulus: Read this article and then answer the questions that follows.
How do we measure the quality of our waters?
1
Doctors use instruments like thermometers and stethoscopes to check on your health.
Scientists use instruments like Secchi (sek’-ee) disks, probes, nets, gauges, and meters
to determine how healthy the water is. They take measurements of the physical and
chemical condition of the water and the health of the critters that live in it.
Scientists collect water in lots of different ways. They use boats to go out in the middle of
lakes, they wade into streams wearing rubber boots that go up to their chests, they drop
buckets over the sides of bridges—they’ll do almost anything to get a sample.
Water samples aren’t the only things scientists collect. They take photographs from
airplanes and even satellites. They use their eyes to observe what’s happening along
streams, lakes, and bays to get an overall sense of the health of the water. They also
collect fish, plants, dirt, and aquatic bugs, and study what’s happening on the land that’s
next to the water.
What do scientists measure?
2
Temperature - When you don’t feel well, chances are the first thing someone does is
take your temperature. Scientists measure water temperature for several reasons. First, it
determines the kinds of animals that can survive in a stream. If the temperature gets too
hot or too cold for some organisms, they die. Temperature also can affect the chemistry
of the water. For example, warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. A healthy
cluster of trees and vegetation next to a stream or river helps keep temperatures cool for
trout and other fish.
3
Dissolved oxygen - Scientists measure dissolved oxygen, or DO (pronounced dee-oh).
This tells them how much oxygen is available in the water for fish and other aquatic
organisms to breathe. Healthy waters generally have high levels of DO (some areas, like
swamps, naturally have low levels of DO). Just like human beings, aquatic life needs
oxygen to survive. Several factors can affect how much DO is in the water. These include
temperature, the amount and speed of flowing water, the plants and algae that produce
oxygen during the day and take it back in at night, pollution in the water, and the
composition of the stream bottom. (Gravelly or rocky bottoms stir up the water more than
muddy ones do, creating bubbles that put more oxygen into the water.)
4
pH - Scientists measure pH to determine the concentration of hydrogen in the water
(The p stands for “potential of” and the H is hydrogen.) pH ranges from 0 (very acidic) to
14 (very basic), with 7 being neutral. Most waters range from 6.5 to 8.5. Changes in pH
can affect how chemicals dissolve in the water and whether organisms are affected by
them. High acidity can be deadly to fish and other aquatic organisms.
5
Nutrients - Just as nutrients are critical for you to grow (check out what’s inside a box of
cereal—essential nutrients), they are critical to plants and animals. The two major
nutrients scientists measure are nitrogen and phosphorus. The presence of too many
nutrients can hurt aquatic organisms by causing lots of algae to grow in the water.
Nutrients can also affect pH, water clarity and temperature, and cause water to smell and
look bad.
6
Toxic Substances - Scientists also test for many harmful (toxic) things like metal,
pesticides, and oil. For example, scientists are finding mercury in certain types of fish,
especially in lakes and estuaries. Mercury comes from mining, natural sources and air
pollution from power plants and incinerators. People are warned not to fish if mercury or
other harmful substances are a problem in a stream, lake or bay.
7
Turbidity¹ - Scientists measure the clarity of water to determine how many particulates
(little bitty particles of stuff) are floating around. If you’re sitting on a dock in a pond on a
warm summer day, you might be able to see to the bottom. That’s low turbidity. On the
other hand, if you visit the dock after a rainstorm when all the muck has been stirred up,
you won’t be able to see the bottom; that’s high turbidity. Scientists use turbidity
measurements to calculate the inputs from erosion and nutrients.
8
Bacteria - Scientists sample for certain types of bacteria that are found only in the
intestinal tract of animals and humans. These bacteria, called fecal coliforms, are not
necessarily harmful, but they usually hang out with some bad characters like viruses and
pathogens, which can make you sick. The major sources of fecal coliforms are failing
septic systems, wastewater treatment plant discharges, and animal waste (which covers a
big range from Pup's droppings to cow manure).
9
Visual surveys - Not all measurements are chemical or physical. Scientists take
measurements of the landscape surrounding a stream to determine things like the
amount of trees and shrubs along a stream, the amount of shade that is created by trees
overhanging the stream, and woody debris (sticks and leaves) in the stream. The more
vegetation, tree cover, and woody debris, the more habitat is created for wildlife and fish.
Vegetation can even trap pollutants before they enter the stream. Tree cover also helps
regulate water temperature, which is important to trout and other fish that need cold
water to survive.
10
Biological sampling - Scientists determine the health of waters by taking samples of
fish, plants and smaller organisms called macroinvertebrates (mack-row-in-ver-tuhbretts).
Macroinvertebrates include things like snails, worms, fly larvae, and crayfish
("crawdads"). You find them under rocks and tree roots in the water. These critters tell a
story about the health of the stream. Some of them love to live in water that's dirty, so if
scientists find a lot of those in a sample, they know there's a problem. Other organisms
can survive only in water that's very clean, so finding those means the water is probably
healthy.
¹ Turbidity is the cloudiness or haziness of a fluid caused by individual particles (suspended solids) that
are generally invisible to the naked eye, similar to smoke ...
Sample Lesson Plan – Close Reading
Common Core State Standards
Reading Anchor Standards
 RI-1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific
evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
 RI-2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting
details and ideas.
 RI-4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and
figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Writing Anchor Standards
 W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and
accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
 W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience
 W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
 W10: Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Demonstration Lesson: A Close Read of Grade 08 ELA released item from SBAC
Guiding Question: Based on the text, what inference can be made about how tests and testing should
occur to ensure an accurate measurement of overall water quality? Explain your inference using
details from the text.
English Language Arts and Literacy Standards
Notes
Setting the Stage – 10 minutes
 Overview
 Goals
1. Practice “close reading” when reading
informational text
2. Focus on a word phrase to grow academic
vocabulary and deep understanding
Learning Activity: 35 - 45 minutes (Whole group and
small group)
 First reading and paraphrasing complex text (510 minutes).
 Rereading with text dependent questions to
self-assess one’s close reading and
understanding (5-10 minutes)
 Growing vocabularies – tracing the
accumulated meaning of the word “health”
through the text and appreciating how the
careful study of a crucial word contributes to
understanding the whole (5-10 minutes)
 Synthesizing Conversation – What conditions
are important to consider when measuring the
health/quality of water? Why is the
quality/health of water important? Are there
are any other factors that should be
considered in order to get an accurate
measure of the quality of water? (15)
This lesson is based on the attributes of a Close Reading
lesson and the use of text-dependent questioning.
This lesson follows “a carefully developed set of steps
that assist students in increasing their familiarity
and understanding” of complex, informational text.
This particular unit uses the Grade 08 ELA released
item from Smarter Balanced Assessment
Consortium as the content.
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Remind students what it means to paraphrase
and then have them complete paraphrasing
sections on recording sheet. Engage students
in discourse.
Have students read listed text dependent
questions and use them to facilitate close
reading.
After reading, engage students multiple times
in discourse.
Record the contextual meaning of the word
“health” each time it appears in the text and
discuss with a partner
Independently, write a thesis statement that
addresses the prompt and note the supporting
evidence
In a small group, discuss your thesis
statements and the appropriate evidence that
supports your analysis
Notes:
© Reach Associates, 2011
Student Recording Form
Read: How do we measure the quality of our waters? and What do scientists measure?
Paraphrase paragraph 1 – How do we measure the quality of our waters?
Paraphrase paragraph 7 – Turbidity
Reread the text and use the text dependent questions below to self-assess your close reading and
understanding of the text:
 Why does the author say, “they’ll (scientists) do almost anything to get a sample?” in the first paragraph?
What are some examples the author provides to make this point?

Why does the author make reference to taking a person’s temperature in paragraph two?

How does the amount of dissolved oxygen impact the quality of water? What are some factors that can
affect DO?

How does the pH in water affect the living organisms in water?

How do nutrients affect the quality of water? Explain the author’s comparison of nutrients in water to
people’s health.

What examples were provided of toxic substances that might be found in water?

According to the author in paragraph 9, how do vegetation and tree cover impact the quality of water?
© Reach Associates, 2011

In paragraph 8 what are the “major sources of fecal coliforms” identified?

What story can the “critters” in the last paragraph tell about water quality?

Based on information in this text, why is ‘timing’ important for scientists to consider when measuring the
health of water?
Growing vocabularies:
1. Record the contextual meaning of “health” as it is used in each instance and discuss your meanings with
a partner.
health, paragraph
1 - line 1
healthy, paragraph
1 - line 3
health, paragraph
1 - line 4
healthy, paragraph
3 – line 3
health, paragraph
10, line 1
healthy, paragraph
10, line 8
Vocabulary response:
In paragraph form trace the accumulated meaning of the word “health” through the text. How does the
health of water have an impact on the ecosystem?
© Reach Associates, 2011
How do we measure the quality of our waters? And, What do scientists measure?
Responding to the prompt:
Based on the text, what inference can be made about how tests and testing should occur to ensure an
accurate measurement of overall water quality? Explain your inference using details from the text.
Thesis statement:
Text-based supporting detail –
Text-based supporting detail –
Text-based supporting detail –
© Reach Associates, 2011