3rd Grade Close Reading Lesson
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
KEY IDEAS & DETAILS
STANDARDS
3. Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their
actions contribute to the sequence of events.
CRAFT & STRUCTURE
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal
from non-literal language.
5. Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms
such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
6. Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters.
INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE & IDEAS
7.
Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words
in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of character or setting).
INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES
ACADEMIC DISCUSSION
Introduction to the Text: Read poem aloud (without book). Project words of
poem in stanza format for students to see while the poem is read.
1st
Read
2nd
Read
3rd
Read
“Listen carefully while I read this poem. I want you to figure out where the poem is
taking place. You will need to listen carefully; the author gives you clues, but does
not specifically tell you the setting.”
Materials: paper & drawing utensils
1. Share your drawing. Tell us the words
in the poem that made you visualize
Direct the students to draw a picture of
that.
the setting.
2. Were there any characters in the
story? Who?
Annotating the Text: Give each student a copy of the poem. Project the poem
(stanza format) so the students can see the teacher model the text annotation.
1. Number the stanza.
1. Use context clues to figure out the
2. Circle unknown or key words.
meaning of the circled words.
2. For each stanza, determine if it is
written from the point of view of the
man or the horse. Label each stanza
accordingly.
Concluding Activities: Read the poem using the book illustrated by Susan Jeffers
(Scholastic). Bring the students closely so they can see the illustrations as the poem is
read.
“This time, while I read the poem, I would like you to look at the poems carefully.
Sometimes pictures can help us understand the story better. See if the pictures drawn
by the illustrator help you find out more information about this poem.”
After the academic discussion, ask
students to write a narrative piece
describing the actions of the main
character in the poem.
1. Who are the characters in the poem?
2. People are often motivated by things
that are important to them. In the last
stanza, it seems as though the character
may have motivation….for what?
3. So….what do you think he was doing
at the beginning and middle of the
poem?