Unit #1: Mental Actions
Unit Title:
Topic: Mental Actions
Grade level:
3rd
Primary Subject: Reading
Purpose: To frontload meta-cognitive reading
processes that students will continue to apply to
throughout the year.
AZ State Standards/Core: Science/Social Studies)
AZ State Standards/CORE: (Reading)
Common Core Standards:
3. RL.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.RI.1. Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
3.SL.3. Ask and answer questions about information from a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
3.RI.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or
subject area.
3.RF.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 23 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts,
at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Arizona State Standards:
S1C6PO1Predict events and actions, based upon prior knowledge and text features.
S1C6PO2 Compare a prediction about an action or event to what actually occurred within a text.
S1C6PO3 Ask relevant questions in order to comprehend text
S1C6PO4 Answer clarifying questions in order to comprehend text
S1C6PO5 Extract information from graphic organizers
S1C6PO6 Connect information and events in text to experience and to related text sources.
S2C1PO7 Distinguish between/among fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and narratives using knowledge of structural elements
AZ State Standards/CORE: (Listening/Speaking)
3.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
3.L.6. Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.
AZ State Standards/CORE: (Technology)
Big Idea(s): Readers train their brains to think while reading. Interacting with text helps us to understand the
author’s message. Real reading is interacting with text to make meaning.
Unit Outcome: TSW apply comprehension strategies/mental actions to understand what they read in both
narrative and expository text.
Learner Evidence: TSW define each comprehension strategy verbally or in writing. 2. TSW use each strategy
while reading- identifying when they use the strategy, why they chose the strategy and how it helped them
comprehend the text- verbally or in writing. 3. TSW use comprehension strategies to comprehend text by
answering explicit and implicit questions related to the text.
Lower Level Formative Assessments (knowledge retrieval, comprehension):
-Predict and confirm text structure using elements as justification.
Book B Passage 20 N-Formative Assessment.doc
Book A Passage 6 I-Formative Assessment Text Structure.doc
Book A Passage 35 IN-Formative Assessment.doc
-Use the 3 mental actions (monitoring comprehension, making connections-to figure out unknown words using
context clues, and making predictions-of text structure)
formative assessment 3 M.A. informative
formative assessment 3 M.A. narrative.doc
Performance Based Summative Assessments:
-Code a passage using the 3 mental actions.
Performance Assessment One.doc
Performance Assessment Two.doc
Text Structure Graphic Organizer.doc
Prior Knowledge/ Background Knowledge: First and third person pronouns.
1st Person: I, me, we, us, my, our
3rd Person: he, her, she, him, it, they, their, them, themselves
Resources: Writing Road to Reading: Text Structure Information: 133-141, Mental Actions Information 141147, McCall Crabbs book series
Supplies: Anchor charts, passages, text examples of narrative, informative, and informative narrative.
Academic Vocabulary: (See glossary for definitions) Point of View for a narrative can be either first
person or third person. It is helpful to tie this to pronoun instruction.
Glossary of Terms Mental Actions.docx
Reading Comprehension Contimuum.doc
Days 1-3
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objective: TSW identify the author’s purpose and elements of a narrative
End of Lesson Assessment: Reformat narrative elements into a graphic organizer. Text Structure Graphic
Organizer.doc
Sub-Objective #1 TSW explain the concept of author’s purpose and why it is important to quickly determine
this when reading.
(Teacher action) Essential Question: What are some reasons why authors write, and why is it important to
understand the author’s purpose when reading? (Pose this question to students and have them think/pair/share
before explaining the following information.
Authors write to entertain and to develop understanding about life, authors write to inform, describe, explain, or
instruct, authors write to persuade. It is important to be able to infer the author’s purpose within the first couple
of sentences so that we know what elements to look for in order to comprehend. Knowing the type of writing
and the author’s purpose also helps us to adjust our reading rate to match the text.
Today we will be learning why authors write narratives. Authors write narratives to entertain and also to
develop understanding (of important ideas and themes in life.) Begin making anchor chart that will eventually
have three columns for the three main types of writing, listing the author’s purpose and elements of each. For
now, just list narrative purpose. Text Structure Elements Chart
Text Structure Graphic Organizer
Student Action: T-P-S What some reason why authors write?
Check for Understanding: Have students use ILD stems to discuss again. Authors write to_____________.
Sub-Objective #2 TSW explain the concept of narrative elements and identify these elements in a teacher
selected read-aloud.
Model: (Teacher action) Teacher will list and define the elements of a narrative: characters, setting, plot,
theme and point of view and add to anchor chart in narrative section. Teacher will read a picture book and think
aloud as she identifies the elements and reformats them on a large graphic organizer on easel, doc cam, or smart
board. This is to frontload the graphic organizer so students will be familiar with it in later lessons.
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice) Ask: What did you notice me thinking about as I identified the narrative
elements in this story? Students will use think/pair/share to answer.
Students will participate in think/pair/share at stopping points throughout the narrative text, and write the
author’s purpose, characters, setting, plot, dialogue, theme, and point of view on a graphic organizer with teacher
guidance.
Check for Understanding: (Independent Practice)
Students will read a narrative and reformat elements into a graphic organizer.
Sub-Objective #3 TSW identify the point of view by coding for first or third pronouns.
Model (Teacher Actions)
Lift text from read aloud and place on chart or smart board. Model distinguishing between dialogue and narrator
parts of text. (You read the narrator part and have students read the dialogue) Model circling the pronouns in the
narrator parts to determine 1st or 3rd person point of view.
Aligned Activity (Guided Practice)
With the second portion of text, have students draw a line through the dialogue sections inside quotation marks
and circle the pronouns that are remaining in the narrator portions of the text. Students will then determine if the
text is written in 1st or 3rd person.
Check for Understanding (Independent Practice)
With the remaining text, have students draw a line through the dialogue sections inside quotation marks and
circle the pronouns that are remaining in the narrator portions of the text. Students will then determine if the text
is written in 1st or 3rd person.
Value/Meaning Statement
Understanding the way the
author organizes a passage
helps the reader understand the
content, purpose, and pace for
reading.
Interactive Lang. Development
(See notes)
Engagement Strategies
Grouping
Notes: Uniform ILD stems across grade levels will help students to articulate their meta-cognitive thinking. I
predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Days 4-6
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science,
and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objective: TSW identify the author’s purpose and elements of an informative.
End of Lesson Assessment: Reformat informative elements into a graphic organizer.
Sub-Objective #1 TSW explain the concept of informative elements and identify in a teacher selected readaloud.
(Teacher action) Today we will be learning about why authors write informatives, which are also called
expository. Authors write informatives to inform, explain, describe, or instruct. The elements of informatives
are: topic, main idea, and facts. Informatives are written in the third person point of view. Add this information
to anchor chart of the three main types of writing.
Model: Teacher will read an expository book about a science or social studies topic, stopping at predetermined
points to think aloud and label each element, while reformatting on a graphic organizer.
Text Structure Elements Chart
Text Structure Graphic Organizer
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice) Students will participate in think/pair/share at stopping points throughout
the informative text. (main idea, supporting details, topic, facts, author’s purpose)
Check for Understanding: (Independent Practice)
Students will read a narrative and reformat elements into a graphic organizer.
Sub-Objective #2 TSW identify the point of view by coding for third pronouns.
Model (Teacher Actions)
Lift text from read aloud and place on chart or smart board. Model circling the pronouns relating it back to the
topic or noun drawing lines from pronoun to noun. Justify why informative is written in 3rd person by relating it
back to the pronouns.
Aligned Activity (Guided Practice)
With the second portion of text, have students continue to circle the pronouns relating it back to the topic or
noun of the text. Have students continue to justify 3rd person with the pronouns.
Check for Understanding (Independent Practice)
With the remaining text, have students continue to circle the pronouns relating it back to the topic or noun of the
text. Have students continue to justify 3rd person with the pronouns.
Value/Meaning Statement
Understanding the way the
author organizes a passage
helps the reader understand the
content, purpose, and pace for
reading.
Interactive Lang. Development
Engagement Strategies
Grouping
Notes: Uniform ILD stems across grade levels will help students to articulate their meta-cognitive thinking. I
predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Day 7
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts,
at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objective: TSW use knowledge of narrative and informative elements to predict the text structure of a
passage.
End of Lesson Assessment:
Formative Assessment #1(Passage from McCall Crabbs-1 narrative and 1 informative)
Sub-Objective #1TSW state the elements of narrative and informative using rally robin.
(Teacher action) Give direction for rally robin-Kagan Structure
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice)
Rally Robin of narrative and informative elements with partner
Check for Understanding: Call on non-volunteers to share out
Enrichment/Modification
Sub-Objective #2 TSW use knowledge of narrative and informative elements to predict the text structure of a
passage.
Model: (Teacher action)
Using a passage from McCall Crabbs model reading the first few sentences and stopping to make a prediction
about the text structure using the sentence stem. I predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still
think this is a ____________because____________. I’m supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a
___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a ____________ because____________. I’m confirming my
prediction. Make sure to justify your reasoning with the elements of either narrative or informative. (Label the
mental action of predicting)
Meta-cognitive Think Aloud: I think this is narrative because the author has introduced two characters and a
setting. I am making a prediction of the text structure.
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice)
Use another passage from McCall Crabbs or passage of your choice to guide students through predicting and
confirming text structure using the elements.
Use the sentence frames:
I predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Check for Understanding: (Independent Practice)
Use another passage from McCall Crabbs or passage of your choice. Have students read the passage
independently and complete the built in sentence frames with justification of text elements.
Value/Meaning Statement
Understanding the way the
author organizes a passage
helps the reader understand the
content, purpose, and pace for
reading.
Interactive Lang. Development
Engagement Strategies
Grouping
Notes: Uniform ILD stems across grade levels will help students to articulate their meta-cognitive thinking. I
predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Day 8-11
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts,
at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objective: Identify the author’s purpose and elements of an informative-narrative.
End of Lesson Assessment: Reformat informative-narrative elements into a graphic organizer. *Note not
ALL elements will be evident from both informative and the narrative side.
Sub-Objective #1 TSW explain the concept of informative elements and identify in a teacher selected readaloud.
Teacher Action: (Model) Teacher will read aloud an informative-narrative text. (Magic School Bus, Magic Tree
House, Historical Fiction examples, or grade level appropriate passage)
Meta-Cognitive Think Aloud: As you are reading the text, stop at predetermined points to identify and label the
elements of informative narrative. Explain to students that the author’s purpose is to inform in an interesting way
and so the author has added some informative elements to a narrative to make it more interesting for the reader.
(iN-big N means more narrative than informative) OR the author could have added some narrative elements to
an informative. (In-Big I means more informative than narrative)
Text Structure Elements Chart.doc
Text Structure Graphic Organizer
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice)
Students will participate in think/pair/share at stopping points throughout the informative-narrative text. (Main
idea, supporting details, topic, facts, author’s purpose, character, setting, plot, etc.)
Check for Understanding: (Independent Practice)
Students will reformat an informative-narrative story or passage into a graphic organizer.
Sub-Objective #3 TSW identify the point of view by coding for first or third pronouns.
Model (Teacher Actions)
Lift text from read aloud and place on chart or smart board. Model distinguishing between dialogue and narrator
parts of text. (You read the narrator part and have students read the dialogue) Model circling the pronouns in the
narrator parts to determine 1st or 3rd person point of view.
Aligned Activity (Guided Practice)
With the second portion of text, have students draw a line through the dialogue sections inside quotation marks
and circle the pronouns that are remaining in the narrator portions of the text. Students will then determine if the
text is written in 1st or 3rd person.
Check for Understanding (Independent Practice)
With the remaining text, have students draw a line through the dialogue sections inside quotation marks and
circle the pronouns that are remaining in the narrator portions of the text. Students will then determine if the text
is written in 1st or 3rd person.
Value/Meaning Statement
Understanding the way the
author organizes a passage
helps the reader understand the
content, purpose, and pace for
reading.
Interactive Lang. Development
Engagement Strategies
Grouping
Notes: Uniform ILD stems across grade levels will help students to articulate their meta-cognitive thinking. I
predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Day 12
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts,
at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objective: TSW use knowledge of narrative and informative elements to predict the text structure of a
passage.
End of Lesson Assessment:
Formative Assessment: (McCall Crabbs-narrative, informative, and informative-narrative passage)
Sub-Objective #1 TSW state the elements of narrative, informative, and informative-narrative using rally robin.
(Teacher action) Give directions for rally robin- Kagan structure. If needed model with a student. (With a
partner students go back and forth stating elements on narrative, then informative, and finally informativenarrative)
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice)
Rally Robin with Partner
Sub-Objective #2 TSW predict, support/revise, and confirm their predictions of text structure using the elements
as justification.
Model: (Teacher action)
Model predicting the text structure with an informative narrative passage.
Using a passage from McCall Crabbs model reading the first few sentences and stopping to make a prediction
about the text structure using the sentence stem. I predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still
think this is a ____________because____________. I’m supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a
___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a ____________ because____________. I’m confirming my
prediction. Make sure to justify your reasoning with the elements of either narrative or informative. (Label the
mental action of predicting)
Meta-cognitive Think Aloud: I think this is narrative because the author has introduced two characters and a
setting. I am making a prediction of the text structure.
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice)
Use another passage from McCall Crabbs or passage of your choice to guide students through predicting and
confirming text structure using the elements.
Use the sentence frames:
I predict this is a _______ because_________. (Midway through) I still think this is a ____________because____________. I’m
supporting my prediction. OR: Now I think this is a ___________because___________. (At the end) Now I know this is a
____________ because____________. I’m confirming my prediction.
Check for Understanding: (Independent Practice)
Use another passage from McCall Crabbs or passage of your choice. Have students read the passage
independently and complete the built in sentence frames with justification of text elements.
Value/Meaning Statement
Value/Meaning Statement
Understanding the way the
author organizes a passage
helps the reader understand the
content, purpose, and pace for
reading.
Interactive Lang. Development
(See above sentence frames.
Use for model, guided, and
independent practice)
Engagement Strategies
Think-Pair-Share with shoulder
or face partner.
Grouping
Partner (Think-Pair-Share)
Notes:
Day 13-15
*** Level of Cognition noted in end of lesson assessment
Standard/PO: 3.RL.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end
of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts,
at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
3.RI.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 3 topic or
subject area.
3.RF.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
b. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
3.L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content,
choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
b. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Objective: TSW monitor comprehension and make connections using context clues to infer the meanings of
unknown words, after predicting text structure.
End of Lesson Assessment:
Formative Assessment: (McCall Crabbs-narrative, informative, and informative-narrative passage)
Sub-Objective #1 TSW monitor comprehension and make connections using context clues to infer the meanings
of unknown words, after predicting text structure.
Model (Teacher action) Essential Question: Why is it important to recognize when our meaning breaks down as
readers? What can we do to fix it up? Think aloud and use oral and written sentence stems in a McCall Crabbs
passage or teacher selected text. “I predict this is_____ because_______, “I understand every word OR “I
understand every word except_________. Label mental action used. (I monitored my comprehension.) “ Maybe
_____means ______ because______”. (I made connections.) * You can check for understanding of the model
by asking students to hold up or push forward mental action cards on their desk. For example, “What mental
action did I use when I said I understand every word except________?” Student Response: You monitored my
comprehension. “What mental action did I use when I said, “I understand every word?” Student Response:
You monitored my comprehension. What mental action did I use when I said, “Maybe ___means ___
because___?” Student Response: You made connections to figure out the unknown word.
Aligned Activity: (Guided Practice) Students will read chunked text (McCall Crabbs or teacher selected text)
and predict text structure, monitor their comprehension and make connections to context to infer unknown
words. Students will also label, orally and in writing, which mental action is being used. Teacher can also
choose to have students use their cards as a visual check for understanding before writing their thinking.
Check for Understanding (Independent Practice) Students will read chunked text (McCall Crabbs or teacher
selected text) and predict text structure, monitor their comprehension and make connections to context to infer
unknown words. Students will also label in writing which mental action is being used.
Value/Meaning Statement
Good readers are not just word
callers but are able to make
sense of text as they read. We
can accomplish by using
mental actions.
Interactive Lang. Development
(See above model. Use same
sentence frames for guided and
independent practice)
Engagement Strategies
Mental actions cards
Think-Pair-Share with shoulder
or face partners.
Grouping
Partner (Think-Pair-Share)
Notes: After teaching students to monitor comprehension and make connections to infer unknown words, teach
unknown phrases, and multiple meaning words, as these are other reasons why students’ meaning breaks down.