Title of Lesson #1: Making Connections with The Dot by Peter Reynolds
Topic: Making text-to-self, text-to-text and text-to-world connections.
Grade(s): 1-3
Time Period: 40-45 minutes
Objective(s): This lesson is designed to introduce students to the reading strategy making connections. Using
evidence from the e-book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds and their background knowledge, students will find the
main idea to help them to relate to the text for a deeper understanding of the text and the author’s message.
This lesson can also act as a review of the three types of connections that good readers make.
Tell the students: “Good readers make connections between the text they are reading and themselves (text-toself), another text they have read (text-to-text), and the world (text-to-world). Making connections with the
texts we are reading help us to better relate to and understand a text and the author’s message.”
Materials and Resources Needed:
- e-book The Dot by Peter Reynolds
- computer/laptop and screen
- Making Connections Information Sheet (one per student)
- Making Connections Graphic Organizer (one per student)
- Making Connections Peer-assessment Sheet (one per student)
- enlarged version of Making Connections Graphic Organizer
- markers
- pencil (one per student)
- eraser (one per student)
Type of Assessment:
● Diagnostic
● Formative
○ Summative
Possible Strategies and Tools to Assess Students:
● Student work Samples
● Oral Statement
● Peer-assessment
● Self-assessment
● Observation
● Teacher notes
○ One-to-one Interview
○ Checklist
○ Rubric
● Other
Procedure of the Lesson:
Part 1
1. Mini discussion: Show the students the cover of the e-book The Dot by Peter Reynolds. Ask them to take a
moment and think to themselves about one specific thing/event that the title and/or picture reminds them of.
After a moment has passed, ask the students to share their ideas with the student sitting next to them. Once
students have had a chance to share, ask them to come back to the large group and ask for students who
would like to share their ideas to raise their hand.
2. Highlight student responses that make vivid connections (i.e. “_____ (student’s name) made a great text-totext connection because s/he ________”). Acknowledge how students frame their ideas. When students have
had a chance to share, tell them that they have all made a connection to this e-book in some way.
3. Tell the students that good readers draw on their prior knowledge (schema) and past experiences to make
connections with a text. Making connections helps us to understand what we are reading and to engage on a
deeper level with the text.
4. Explain to the students the three different types of connections that good readers make: text-to-self, textto-text, and text-to-world. Provide definitions and examples. At this time, you may also wish to have the
students volunteer their ideas as to what each type of connection refers to. Record ideas on chart paper.
5. Share the objective of the lesson with the students.
Part 2
1. Play the e-book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds once through without stopping.
2. Play the e-book a second time, pausing to model making connections. Tell the students to keep a mental
note of the connections that come to mind while they view the e-book for the second time. When you pause
the e-book, model how to make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections for the students.
3. Record your connections on the enlarged version of the Making Connections graphic organizer.
4. Ask students to review the connections you modeled for them and any you made together as a class.
Encourage them to share any thoughts, questions, concerns, or confusions. Ask the students to identify how
each type of connection satisfies the criteria for that type of connection.
Part 3
1. Distribute the Making Connections Graphic Organizer for the students to complete.
2. Have the students complete the Making Connections Graphic Organizer independently.
3. When students have completed the graphic organizer, have them exchange theirs with a peer. Have them
read over their peers’ graphic organizer and then have them peer-assess their partner’s graphic organizer
using the Making Connections Peer-assessment sheet.
Extension and Practice:
Students can practice making connections with a text they are currently reading independently. You may wish
to provide them with another copy of the Making Connections graphic organizer, or they can record their
ideas in their reading notebooks.
Closure:
1. Once all students have completed the graphic organizer, have the students sit in a circle.
2. Create a sentence starter, such as “Good readers make connections with what they are reading because”
and/or “Making connections with that I am reading helps me to…” and go around the circle so each student
has a chance to complete the sentence.
3. Collect the Making Connections graphic organizer and the Making Connections Peer-assessment Sheet from
the students.
Name: _________________________
Date: __________________________
Making Connections Information
Good readers make text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections using
information provided within a text and their schema (background knowledge) for a
deeper understanding of a text.
Text-to-Self: Refers to the types of connections that good readers make between
a text they are currently reading and their personal experiences.
Text-to-Text: Refers to the types of connections that good readers make between a
text they are currently reading and a text they have already read.
Text-to-World: Refers to connections that good readers make between a text
they are currently reading and events that have occurred in the
world (past and present).
Sample sentence prompts for making connections:
This part reminds me of…
This part makes me think of a time when...
This character reminds me of...
Name: ___________________________
I can relate to the part when…because…
Something similar happened to me when…
This book relates to…
Date: ______________________
Making Connections Graphic Organizer
Text-to-Self …
(How does this text or a character in the text relate to you? Are their any similarities and/or differences between
you and this character? How does the character deal with a problem? How would you deal with the same
problem?)
Text-to-Text …
(How does this text or a character in the text relate to another text that you have read in the past? Are their any
similarities and/or differences between the characters, events, situations, etc?)
Text-to-World …
(How does this text or a character in the text relate to our world? Are their any similarities and/or differences
between an event and/or issue that happened in the text and something that has happened or is currently
happening in our world today?)
My name is ______________________ and I peer-assessed _________________________.
Making Connections Peer-assessment
In the space provided, please complete each sentence prompt.
Something I really liked about the connections you made was…because…
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
You have demonstrated that you understand what it means to make connections through …
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
From reading your connections I now have a clearer understanding of ….because…
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
A suggestion for your next step is…
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Title of Lesson #2: Finding the Main Idea with The Dot
Topic: Finding the main idea of the text using supporting details from the text and background knowledge
(schema).
Grade(s): 1-3
Time Period: 40-45 minutes
Objective(s): This lesson is designed to introduce students to the strategy finding the main idea in a text. Using
evidence from the e-book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds and their background knowledge (schema), students will
find the main idea to help them understand the text and the author’s message. This lesson may also be used
as a review of the reading strategy finding the main idea.
Tell the students: “Good readers use the supporting details in a text and their background knowledge to find
the main idea of a text. The main idea helps us to better understand a text and the author’s message.”
Materials and Resources Needed:
- e-book The Dot by Peter Reynolds
- computer/laptop and screen
- Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer (one per student)
- enlarged version of Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer
- markers
- pencil (one per student)
- eraser (one per student)
Type of Assessment:
● Diagnostic
● Formative
○ Summative
Possible Strategies and Tools to Assess Students:
● Student work Samples
● Oral Statement
○ Peer-assessment
○ Self-assessment
● Observation
● Teacher notes
○ One-to-one Interview
○ Checklist
○ Rubric
● Other
Procedure of the Lesson:
Part 1
1. Ask the students to think to themselves for a few seconds what they think is meant by the term “main
idea”. Once a moment has passed, ask the students to turn to the person sitting next to them to share their
thoughts and ideas. Give the students 1-2 minutes to share. Tell the students that they must be listening
attentively to what their partner says, because they will be asked to share what their partner says.
2. Ask the students to return to the large group. Ask for volunteers to share their partners’ ideas.
3. Record the ideas on an overhead and/or large paper, accessible for all students. You may also wish to write
“Main Idea” in large letters on a sheet of large chart paper, and record the students’ responses around it.
4. Share the objective of the lesson with the students.
Part 2
1. Play the e-book, The Dot by Peter Reynolds once through without stopping.
2. After playing the e-book once through, tell the students that you are going to play the e-book once more
and that they are to pay close attention and record any and all ideas on their handouts that relate to the main
idea. Tell the students that you will pause the e-book periodically to allow them to complete the Finding the
Main Idea graphic organizer. On the graphic organizer, the students are to write the following:
- What the main idea of the e-book is
- Details from the text that support the main idea
3. Students will be completing the Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer that accompanies this text as they
read through the story.
4. Model for the students your main idea and a supporting detail. Write your ideas right into the enlarged
version of the Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer.
5. Ask students to look at your ideas. Encourage them to share any thoughts, questions, concerns, or
confusions. You may also like to ask the students if and how your supporting detail supports the main idea.
This will give the students and you an opportunity to understand how they understand the concept of a main
idea and going about finding it and supporting details in a text.
Part 3
1. Continue playing the e-book, pausing periodically for students to complete the Finding the Main Idea
graphic organizer. You may wish to do another example with them and then have them do the rest
independently.
2. Once students have had sufficient time to complete the Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer, ask them
to turn to the student sitting next to them to share their ideas as to what they think the main idea of the ebook is and what details throughout the text support their main idea.
3. When students have had a few moments to share with the student sitting next to them, ask students to
come back to the large group. Ask for volunteers to share the main idea and details from the text that support
the main idea. You may wish to record student responses on the enlarged version of the Finding the Main Idea
graphic organizer.
Extension and Practice:
Students can practice finding the main idea of a text they are currently reading independently. You may wish
to provide them with another copy of the Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer, or they can record their
ideas in their reading notebooks.
Closure:
1. Once all students have completed the graphic organizer, have the students sit in a circle.
2. Create a sentence starter, such as “Finding the main idea of a text is important because…” and/or “Finding
the main idea of a text helps me to…”. Go around the circle so each student has a chance to complete the
sentence.
3. Collect the Finding the Main Idea graphic organizer from the students for assessment.
Name: ___________________________
Date: ______________________
Finding the Main Idea
To find the main idea of a story, good readers look for supporting details throughout the
text and use their background knowledge (schema).
The main idea of the text is:
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
My schema
about this
topic…
Supporting detail #1:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
____________________
Supporting detail #2:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
____________________
Supporting detail #3:
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
____________________