Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading
Selection: Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman Grade: 3 Unit 1
Initial Planning
Identify the Core Understandings and Key Ideas of the Text
As in any good backward mapping process, teachers should start by identifying the key insights they want students to
understand from the text. Keeping the major points to be made in mind is crucial for crafting an overarching set of successful
questions. This step is also critical for creating a means to check for student understanding.
Identify Lesson Focus: (Review Qualitative Measures)
Knowledge demands:
Moderately Complex (everyday practical knowledge, some abstract ideas or theatrical/historical references, explores a single
theme, few cultural references to outside ideas)
Pg. 46 – Raj said “You can’t be Peter – that’s a boy’s name”
Pg. 47 – Natalie said “he isn’t black”
Pg. 48 – Ma said “a girl can be Peter Pan if she wants to”
Organization:
Text Structure: (Briefly describe the structure, organization, and other features of the text)
Slightly complex (sequential, chronological order, no shifts in point of view, illustrations provide support for text)
Language Features: (Briefly describe the conventions and clarity of the language used in the text, including the complexity of the
vocabulary and sentence structures.)
Moderately Complex (some of the vocabulary and figurative language might be unfamiliar but generally easy to understand, a few
instances of unfamiliar or historical references, sentences are simple and compound)
Pg. 42, 43 – Joan of Arc, Anansi, Troy
Pg. 49 – “another one who don’t know nothing.”
Text features:
Colorful illustrations that add meaning to narrative and provide context for character motivation.
Bold highlighted vocabulary
CCSS Focus Standards:
R.L. 3.3 Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
R.L. 3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
R.L. 3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story
Use shorter text or excerpts of longer texts
Supporting Student Needs
Considerations for Reader and Task
To really understand a complex text, the reader will have to read it more than once, to make sense of what the author is saying
and to glean the details at both the explicit and implicit levels. First and foremost, close reading demands a willingness to
return to the text to read part or even all of it more than once, ultimately instilling habits of mind in approaching text. Planning
for multiple reads as well as multiple purposes for reads is essential in order to support all student needs.
Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins
Potential Challenges this Text Poses:
Strategies/Lessons to access complex text: Pre teach
Meaning: (Conceptual Understanding Examples, pg. #)
Vocabulary is moderately complex with references to unfamiliar
literary/theatrical/historical figures (but not essential to
understanding the story) such as Peter Pan pg. 46, Joan of Arc
pg. 42, Romeo and Juliet pg. 50, Troy pg. 43, Hiawatha pg. 44
CCSS Focus Standards: RL 3.3, 3.4, 3.7
Accessing prior knowledge through discussion and picture walk
Language: (Syntax, Vocabulary Examples, pg. #)
Understanding of colloquial vs. academic language
Pg. 57 – “I feel as if I could fly all the way home.”
Make an inference between a black Juliet ballerina and a black,
female Peter Pan
Explicit instruction of the difference between figurative and
literal language.
Pre-teach vocabulary, front-loading, connect prior knowledge,
picture walk.
Pre teach
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Using context clues from illustrations and text to gain
meaning
Cultural/historical characters Grace plays
Activity/Lesson
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Demonstrate understanding of key vocabulary
Identify clues provided in text and illustrations
Identify character traits and use illustrations to
contribute to story
First Read: Read through the story in 1 day, have students create a story map to track important events.
Depending on the
needs of the students, it can be completed in two days (pgs. 40-49 and pgs. 50-57).
Close Reads
Create Coherent Sequence of Text-Dependent Questions
Create Coherent Sequences of Text-Dependent Questions – Start Small to Build Confidence
The opening questions should help orient students to the text, and be specific enough to answer so students gain confidence.
The sequence of questions should not be random but should build toward more coherent understanding and analysis to ensure
that students learn to stay focused on the text to bring them to a gradual understanding of its meaning.
Think of ways to maximize student engagement.
Close Read I
Learning Focus: 3.4 and 3.7 – vocabulary Focus CCSS:
Text-Dependent Questions
Evidence-Based Answers/Pg. #
On pg. 43 which pictures and words help you
know how Grace explored her world and went
on adventures?
Grace has a pretend telescope and is
imagining looking for something. It says “lost
kingdoms” so she was trying to find them.
On page 42, Grace is going on an adventure
fighting a battle. On the next page she is
going on an adventure as a pirate on the sea.
Grace has competition on who will be Peter
Pan. Other kids (boys and girls, and of
different races) in her class also dream to be
Peter Pan. Pgs. 46 -47
Grace was inspired by Rosalie from her Nana’s
hometown. Pg. 53, “I can be anything I want,
she thought.” Everyone voted for her to be
Peter Pan. In the picture they are all watching
What do the illustrations tell us about who
else wants to audition for the role of Peter
Pan? Why is this important?
How does going to the ballet help prepare
Grace for the audition and what do Grace’s
friends do or say that lets her know she was
fantastic? Cite evidence.
Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins
her and smiling. Pg. 54
Does Grandma think Grace will continue to be a
success? Looking at the words and illustrations,
how do you know?
How does the relationship between Grace and
Nana help her to succeed? What helps you know?
Pg. 57 “If Grace puts her mind to it, she can do
anything she wants.”
Pg. 49 “you can do anything you want, Grace, if
you put your mind to it.”
Pg. 57 Ma and Nana are looking at each other
smiling looking very proud.
Pg. 50 -51, Nana takes her to the ballet and helps
her know she can be anything she wants to be.
Pg. 48-49, her encouraging words in the kitchen.
Close Read II.
Learning Focus: describe how characters actions contribute to the sequence of events RL 3.3
Focus CCSS:
Text-Dependent Questions
In the story, Grace auditions for Peter Pan. What
other parts has she already played in her
imaginary adventures and what does this tell us
about her?
How do Grace’s actions demonstrate her desire to
audition for the role of Peter Pan?
Looking at the illustration on pg. 49, how do Grace
and Ma feel? Why do they feel this way?
What does Nana want Grace to learn by taking her
to see the ballet?
At the end of the story, on pg. 57, Grace says, “I
feel as if I could fly all the way home!” What does
she mean by that?
What lesson did Grace and her friends learn after
auditioning and performing the play?
Evidence-Based Answers/Pg. #
She has played an Indian, a king (pg. 41), a pirate,
a spider, a warrior (pg. 42,43), and a doctor (pg.
45)
Grace is a dreamer and imaginative. Grace likes to
________. Grace is _________.
She has a big imagination. She likes to pretend
many different kinds of things, not just “girl
things” like princesses. Sometimes she plays with
other kids but often she plays by herself.
The author repeats “but Grace kept her had up.”
Pgs. 46 -47 Grace kept her hand up because she
is determined to be Peter Pan even though her
friends tell her she can’t be.
Grace is sad because she is looking down and
leaning on Nana. Ma is a little sad too or unhappy
because she has her head resting on her fists and
is just looking at Nana. They are sad because
Grace’s friends didn’t think she could or should be
Peter Pan because she is a girl and black. Pg. 46
and 47
Nana took Grace to the ballet to show her that a
little girl from her town became a famous
ballerina. Nana showed her that she can dream
big and be anything she wants to become.
Grace feels happy and free because she did a great
job as Peter Pan and overcame the limiting beliefs
of others.
Just because someone may not think you can do
something, you shouldn’t give up. You should try
anyway if you really want to do it.
Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins
You might be very good at it.
Checking for Understanding
How will you know that learning has occurred? Planning for a means to check student understanding is crucial. Refer back to
the Lesson Focus to plan intentionally to check for student understanding.
Describe how you will check for student understanding:
How does Grace show creativity and determination? What details and illustrations does the author
use to help show these characteristics?
STUDENTS FIGURE OUT
THE MEANING
sufficient context clues
are provided in the text
TEACHER PROVIDES
DEFINITION
not enough contextual
clues provided in the text
Vocabulary
KEY WORDS ESSENTIAL TO
UNDERSTANDING
Words addressed with a question or task
WORDS WORTH KNOWING
General teaching suggestions are provided in
the Introduction
Page 47 - auditions
Pg. 42 – Joan of Arc
Pg. 43 – Troy
Pg. 44 – Hiawatha, Mowgli, Aladdin
Pg. 52 - Trinidad
Pg. 43 – exploring
Pg. 44 – adventure
Pg. 50 – sparkling
Pg. 51 – stunning
Pg. 54 – fantastic
Pg. 57 – success
Pg. 49 – “don’t know nothing”
Pg. 53 – imaginary
Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins