Reading Literature
Participant’s Manual
Day 4
CLASS
Comprehensive Literacy for
Adolescent Student Success
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 1
CLASS Homework Reflection
Days 1-3
Name:_____________________________________________________________________________
Email Address: __________________________________________________________________
1 a. What tool did you use to gather information about your students?
Attach a copy of a completed tool with the student’s name removed.
2 a. What data did you use from the tool to inform your choice of text?
2 b. Did you use the data to select a text for whole class, small group, or an
individual?
3. What text did you select?
How does this text meet the needs of your students as identified by the data you
collected?
4. If you have taught the text, how successful was the learning when you used this
text to teach the standards? How did you assess the learning?
5. After reflecting on this process, what would you do differently next time?
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 2
Text Complexity and Alignment Analysis
Qualitative Measures
Notes
Levels of Meaning or Purpose
 Single Level of Meaning---Multiple Levels of Meaning

Explicitly stated purpose---Implicit purpose, may be hidden or
obscure
Structure
 Simple---Complex
 Explicit--- Implicit
 Conventional---Unconventional
 Events related in chronological order---Events related out of
chronological order (chiefly literary texts)
 Traits of a common genre or subgenre—Traits specific to a
particular discipline (chiefly informational texts)
 Simple graphics---Sophisticated graphics
 Graphics unnecessary or merely supplementary to
understanding the text---Graphics essential to understanding
the text and may provide information not otherwise conveyed
in the text
Language Conventionality and Clarity
 Literal---Figurative or ironic
 Clear---Ambiguous or purposefully misleading
 Contemporary, familiar---Archaic or otherwise unfamiliar
 Conversational---General academic and domain-specific
Knowledge Demands: Life Experiences (literary texts)
 Simple theme---Complex or sophisticated themes
 Single themes---Multiple themes
 Common, everyday experiences or clearly fantastical
situations---Experiences distinctly different from one’s own
 Single perspective---Multiple perspectives
 Perspective(s) like one’s own---Perspective(s) unlike or in
opposition to one’s own
Knowledge Demands: Cultural/Literary Knowledge (chiefly
literary texts)
 Everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions
required---Cultural and literary knowledge useful
 Low intertextuality (few if any references/allusions to other
texts)---High intertextuality (many references/allusions to
other texts)
Knowledge Demands: Content/Discipline Knowledge (chiefly
informational texts)
 Everyday knowledge and familiarity with genre conventions
required---Extensive, perhaps specialized discipline-specific
content knowledge required
 Low intertextuality (few if any references to/citations of other
texts)---High intertextuality (many references to/citations of
other texts)
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 3
Quantitative Measures

Notes
Readability Measurement
Reader and Task Considerations
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


Notes
Cognitive Capabilities
o attention, memory, critical analytic ability,
inferencing, visualization
Motivation
o a purpose for reading
o interest in content
o self-efficacy as a reader
Knowledge
o vocabulary and topic knowledge
o linguistic and discourse knowledge
o knowledge of comprehension strategies
Experiences
Task related variables
 Reader’s Purpose
o Might shift over the course of reading
o Type of reading
 Skimming
 Getting the GIST
 Studying
 Reading the text with the intent of
retaining the information for a period
of time
 Intended outcome
 An increase in knowledge
 A solution to some real-world problem
 Engagement with the text
Alignment to the Standards

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

Reading Strand
Writing Strand
Speaking and Listening Strand
Language Strand
Interdisciplinary Connections






Social Studies
Science
Math
Music
Visual Arts
Other
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 4
Reading Literature Strand CCSS
Key Ideas and Details
College and Career Readiness (CCR) Anchor Standard 1: Read closely to determine
what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual
evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Grade
Grade-Specific Standard
With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details
Kindergarten
in a text.
Grade 1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how
Grade 2
to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text,
Grade 3
referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says
Grade 4
explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly
Grade 5
and when drawing inferences from the text.
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
Grade 6
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
Grade 7
says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what
Grade 8
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
Grade 9-10
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
Grade 11-CCR text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including
determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 5
Reading Literature Strand CCSS
Key Ideas and Details
CCR Anchor Standard 2: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
Grade
Grade-Specific Standard
Kindergarten With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their
Grade 1
central message or lesson.
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and
Grade 2
determine their central message, lesson, or moral.
Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures;
Grade 3
determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed
through key details in the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize
Grade 4
the text.
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including
Grade 5
how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a
poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
Grade 6
particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions
or judgments.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
Grade 7
course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the
Grade 8
course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot;
provide an objective summary of the text.
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development
Grade 9-10
over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined
by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
Grade 11development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on
CCR
one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the
text.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 6
Reading Literature Strand CCSS
Key Ideas and Details
CCR Anchor Standard 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text.
Grade
Grade-Specific Standard
With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a
Kindergarten
story.
Grade 1
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
Grade 2
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and
Grade 3
explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on
Grade 4
specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or
Grade 5
drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes
Grade 6
as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a
resolution.
Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting
Grade 7
shapes the characters or plot).
Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel
Grade 8
the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
Grade 9-10
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters,
and advance the plot or develop the theme.
Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate
Grade 11elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered,
CCR
how the characters are introduced and developed).
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 7
Use this model to show how to use a longer text such as a novel or a play and select shorter
complementary texts from different genres, cultures, and time periods that surround the same
theme to deepen understanding. If one time period, culture, or century is represented in a unit,
the next unit should be from another to provide the range required by the CCSS.
Text Matrix: Fiction/Nonfiction
Author
Nathaniel
Hawthorne
Title
Genre
The Scarlet Letter Fiction: Novel
CCSS Appendix B
P. 145
Arthur Miller
The Crucible
Screenplay by
Michael Sloane;
Directed by
Frank Darabont;
Starring Jim
Carrey
The Majestic
Movie
(Clip of the HCUA
Hearing)
Robert Frost
Emily Dickinson
??
The House
Committee on
Un-American
Activities
(HCUA) (1938–
1975)
“Nothing Gold
Can Stay”
“We Grow
Accustomed to
the Dark”
CCSS Appendix B
p. 119
History Textbook
Drama
Culture
Century
Early
Written
American/Puritan (1850)/Setting
Mid-seventeenth
Century New
England
American/Puritan Written
(1952)/Setting
(1692-1693)
Province of
Massachusetts
Bay Century
New England
American/WWII
Written (2001)/
Setting WWII
America
Nonfiction:
Transcripts
American
(1938-1975)
Poetry
American
Written (1923)
Poetry
American
Written (1890)
Nonfiction:
Information
about the
Puritans
American
Current
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 8
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 9
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 10
(Example from Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland)
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 11
(Example from Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland)
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 12
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter: A Romance. New York: Penguin, 2003.
(1850)
From Chapter 16
The road, after the two wayfarers had crossed from the Peninsula to the mainland, was no other than
a foot-path. It straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval forest. This hemmed it in so
narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the
sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long
been wandering. The day was chill and sombre. Overhead was a gray expanse of cloud, slightly
stirred, however, by a breeze; so that a gleam of flickering sunshine might now and then be seen at
its solitary play along the path. This flitting cheerfulness was always at the further extremity of some
long vista through the forest. The sportive sunlight--feebly sportive, at best, in the predominant
pensiveness of the day and scene--withdrew itself as they came nigh, and left the spots where it had
danced the drearier, because they had hoped to find them bright. “Mother,” said little Pearl, “the
sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something
on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and
catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me--for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!”
“Nor ever will, my child, I hope,” said Hester.
“And why not, mother?” asked Pearl, stopping short, just at the beginning of her race. “Will
not it come of its own accord when I am a woman grown?”
“Run away, child,” answered her mother, “and catch the sunshine. It will soon be gone. “
Pearl set forth at a great pace, and as Hester smiled to perceive, did actually catch the sunshine, and
stood laughing in the midst of it, all brightened by its splendor, and scintillating with the vivacity
excited by rapid motion. The light lingered about the lonely child, as if glad of such a playmate, until
her mother had drawn almost nigh enough to step into the magic circle too.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 13
“It will go now,” said Pearl, shaking her head.
“See!” answered Hester, smiling; “now I can stretch out my hand and grasp some of it.”
As she attempted to do so, the sunshine vanished; or, to judge from the bright expression that was
dancing on Pearl’s features, her mother could have fancied that the child had absorbed it into herself,
and would give it forth again, with a gleam about her path, as they should plunge into some gloomier
shade. There was no other attribute that so much impressed her with a sense of new and
untransmitted vigor in Pearl’s nature, as this never failing vivacity of spirits: she had not the disease
of sadness, which almost all children, in these latter days, inherit, with the scrofula, from the
troubles of their ancestors. Perhaps this, too, was a disease, and but the reflex of the wild energy
with which Hester had fought against her sorrows before Pearl’s birth. It was certainly a doubtful
charm, imparting a hard, metallic lustre to the child’s character. She wanted--what some people want
throughout life--a grief that should deeply touch her, and thus humanize and make her capable of
sympathy. But there was time enough yet for little Pearl.
“Come, my child!” said Hester, looking about her from the spot where Pearl had stood still in
the sunshine--”we will sit down a little way within the wood, and rest ourselves.”
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 14
Text-dependent Constructed Response Questions
Based on the Scarlet Letter
Example Questions:
1. Name three specific actions that the Pearl performed. What do these actions reveal about her
physical, social, and psychological maturity?
2. How does the author use contrast to develop the setting and the characters in the Scarlet
Letter? Use evidence to support your answer.
3. What is the setting of the Scarlet Letter? How does the author develop the setting and then
use the setting to develop the characters of Hester and Pearl?
4. Using evidence from the text, describe how the author uses nature to inform the reader.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 15
Vocabulary
Four Square
Word
Word Study
hemmed
hem ed
verb, past tense
German hemmen: to hem in, stop, hinder
The German derivative fits the context.
Word in Context
Nonlinguistic Representation
This hemmed it in so narrowly, and stood so
black and dense on either side, and disclosed
such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to
Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral
wilderness in which she had so long been
wandering. CCSS_AP(B)_p. 145
To address vocabulary, I have chosen L.11-12.4.
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range
of strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph or text; a word’s
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g. conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its
standard usage
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 16
Think Aloud
The word is hemmed. I chose this word because it has multiple meanings and is
Tier 2 academic vocabulary. I know the word hem that means the finished edge of
a skirt or pair of pants. Hemming a road, as I currently understand the word, does
not make sense in this context. If I look at the morphology of the word, the affixes
and roots, I remove the “ed” which tells me it is a past tense verb. Also, I know my
spelling rule that tells me to double the consonant if the vowel is short and the
word is one syllable before adding “ed” so the root word is hem. I don’t recognize
this as a root word so I look up the etymology of hem. The German word hemmen
means to hem in, stop, hinder. This definition fits the context of the sentence. I find
a picture to use as a nonlinguistic representation.
I can discuss this word with my partner and share what I learned about the
etymology and how it helped me understand the meaning.
This page will stay in my notebook so I can review it from time to time. Every
three weeks or so we play a vocabulary game using the words we put in our
notebooks. I like to win, so I study a little each day.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 17
Sample Vocabulary Practice/Assessment
(Strategy from With Rigor for All, 2nd edition by Carol Jago)
Word Bank
Naïve- inexperienced
Pensive- thinking, contemplative
Wary- cautious, distrustful, circumspect
Humiliating- embarrassing, shameful
Question
Think of the characters in the excerpt from The Scarlet Letter. Which character(s) can be
described using these words naïve, pensive, wary or humiliated? Write a paragraph describing
why you would describe the characters using these words and support your answer with textual
evidence.
Example Response
Hester is humiliated because her moral dilemma has brought her shame. The narrator shares
that Hester thinks the narrowly hemmed, dense, dark foot-path “imaged not amiss the moral
wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.” Pearl is pensive as she contemplates how
”the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on
your bosom.” The connections the child makes seem mature, yet incomplete because she is
inexperienced and naïve. Pearl does not understand exactly what is on her mother’s bosom that
drives the sun away. Hester is wary when she thinks about Pearl’s future and she tells her “Run
away, child…and catch the sunshine. It will soon be gone.” Hester is distrustful of what lies ahead
for he daughter.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 18
Socratic Circle Scorecard
(From Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland)
5= Hitting Target
4= Very Close 3= Narrowing Gap 2= Needs Work
Student’s Reading of Engaged
Supports
Encourages Listens
Name
Text and
in
ideas with thinking and respectfully
(Initials) Preparation Discussion references participation and builds
and Stays to text
in others
from ideas
on Task
of others.
1= Not Close
Questions Accepts
insightfully more
and uses
than
sound
one
reasoning. point of
view
on the
text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
First Inner Circle
Second Inner Circle
Time in Discussion:___________ Minutes
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 19
Socratic Circle Feedback Form
(from Socratic Circles by Matt Copeland)
1) Rate the inner circle’s
performance on the following
criteria: Did the participants…
Dig below the surface
meaning?
Speak loudly and
clearly?
Cite reasons and
evidence for their
statements?
Use the text to find
support?
Listen to others
respectfully?
Stick with the subject?
Talk to each other, not
just the leader?
Paraphrase accurately?
Avoid inappropriate
language
Ask for help to clear
up confusion?
Support each other?
Avoid hostile
exchanges?
Questions others in a
civil manner?
Seems prepared?
Make sure questions
were understood?
Poor
Average
Excellent
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
1
2
3
4
5
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 20
Guidelines for Participants in a Socratic Seminar
(http://www.studyguide.org/socratic_seminar_student.htm)
1. Refer to the text when needed during the discussion. A seminar is not a test of
memory. You are not "learning a subject"; your goal is to understand the ideas, issues,
and values reflected in the text.
2. It's OK to "pass" when asked to contribute.
3. Do not participate if you are not prepared. A seminar should not be a bull session.
4. Do not stay confused; ask for clarification.
5. Stick to the point currently under discussion; make notes about ideas you want to
come back to.
6. Don't raise hands; take turns speaking.
7. Listen carefully.
8. Speak up so that all can hear you.
9. Talk to each other, not just to the leader or teacher.
10. Discuss ideas rather than each other's opinions.
You are responsible for the seminar, even if you don't know it or admit it.
Expectations of Participants in a Socratic Seminar
(http://www.studyguide.org/socratic_seminar_student.htm)
When I am evaluating your Socratic Seminar participation, I ask the following questions about
participants. Did they….
Speak loudly and clearly?
Cite reasons and evidence for their statements?
Use the text to find support?
Listen to others respectfully?
Stick with the subject?
Talk to each other, not just to the leader?
Paraphrase accurately?
Ask for help to clear up confusion?
Support each other?
Avoid hostile exchanges?
Question others in a civil manner?
Seem prepared?
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 21
What is the difference between dialogue and debate?
(http://www.studyguide.org/socratic_seminar_student.htm)










Dialogue is collaborative: multiple sides work toward shared understanding.
Debate is oppositional: two opposing sides try to prove each other wrong.
In dialogue, one listens to understand, to make meaning, and to find common ground.
In debate, one listens to find flaws, to spot differences, and to counter arguments.
Dialogue enlarges and possibly changes a participant's point of view.
Debate defends assumptions as truth.
Dialogue creates an open-minded attitude: an openness to being wrong and an openness to
change.
Debate creates a close-minded attitude, a determination to be right.
In dialogue, one submits one's best thinking, expecting that other people's reflections will
help improve it rather than threaten it.
In debate, one submits one's best thinking and defends it against challenge to show that it is
right.
Dialogue calls for temporarily suspending one's beliefs.
Debate calls for investing wholeheartedly in one's beliefs.
In dialogue, one searches for strengths in all positions.
In debate, one searches for weaknesses in the other position.
Dialogue respects all the other participants and seeks not to alienate or offend.
Debate rebuts contrary positions and may belittle or deprecate other participants.
Dialogue assumes that many people have pieces of answers and that cooperation can lead to
a greater understanding.
Debate assumes a single right answer that somebody already has.
Dialogue remains open-ended.
Debate demands a conclusion.
Dialogue is characterized by:







Suspending judgment
Examining our own work without defensiveness
Exposing our reasoning and looking for limits to it
Communicating our underlying assumptions
Exploring viewpoints more broadly and deeply
Being open to disconfirming data
Approaching someone who sees a problem differently not as an adversary, but as a
colleague in common pursuit of better solution
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 22
Socratic Seminar: Participant Rubric
(http://www.studyguide.org/socratic_seminar_student.htm)
A Level Participant
Participant offers enough solid analysis, without prompting, to
move the conversation forward
Participant, through her comments, demonstrates a deep
knowledge of the text and the question
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes and
a marked/annotated text
Participant, through her comments, shows that she is actively
listening to other participants
Participant offers clarification and/or follow-up that extends
the conversation
Participant’s remarks often refer back to specific parts of the text.
B Level Participant
Participant offers solid analysis without prompting
Through comments, participant demonstrates a good knowledge of
the text and the question
Participant has come to the seminar prepared, with notes and
a marked/annotated text
Participant shows that he/she is actively listening to others
and offers clarification and/or follow-up
C Level Participant
Participant offers some analysis, but needs prompting from the
seminar leader
Through comments, participant demonstrates a general
knowledge of the text and question
Participant is less prepared, with few notes and no
marked/annotated text
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 23
Participant is actively listening to others, but does not offer
clarification and/or follow-up to others’ comments
Participant relies more upon his or her opinion, and less on the
text to drive her comments
Participant offers little commentary
D or F Level Participant
Participant comes to the seminar ill-prepared with little
understanding of the text and question
Participant does not listen to others, offers no commentary to
further the discussion
Participant distracts the group by interrupting other speakers or
by offering off topic questions and comments.
Participant ignores the discussion and its participants
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 24
Socratic Circles Description
Text Resource: Socratic Circles: Fostering Critical and Creative Thinking in Middle and High
School by Matt Copeland
Web Resource: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4994
Matt Copeland, the author of Socratic Circles, explains that Socratic circles “turn partial
classroom control, classroom direction, and classroom governance over to students by creating a
truly equitable learning community where the weight and value of student voices and teacher
voices are indistinguishable from each other.” Copeland suggests that Socratic circles help to
develop “critical and creative thinking skills that will ultimately facilitate their growth and
development into productive, responsible citizens.”6website According to Copeland, Socratic circles
encourage students to “work cooperatively to construct meaning from what they have read and
avoid focusing on a ‘correct’ interpretation of the text.”7website
In his text, Copeland emphasizes that Socratic circles are not a form of classroom debate. “Debate
suggests that students are competing with one another to convince an outsider of the validity of
their line of thinking. A Socratic circle has students working collaboratively to construct a
common vision of truth and understanding that serves all members of the group equally. There
is no concept of ‘winning an argument’ in a Socratic circle; there is only the search for deeper and
more thorough understanding” (26).
Socratic Circles Procedure
1.On the day before a Socratic circle, the teacher hands out a short passage of text.
2.That night at home, students spend time reading, analyzing, and taking notes on the text.
3.During class the next day, students are randomly divided into two concentric circles: an inner
circle and an outer circle.
4.The students in the inner circle read the passage aloud and then engage in a discussion of the
text for approximately ten minutes while students in the outer circle silently observe the
behavior and performance of the inner circle.
5.After this discussion of the text, the outer circle assesses the inner circles’ performance and
gives ten minutes of feedback for the inner circle.
6.Students in the inner and outer circles now exchange roles and positions.
7.The new inner circle holds a ten-minute discussion and then receives ten minutes of feedback
from the new outer circle.
There are many variations to the time limits of each aspect of Socratic Circles, but maintain the
discussion-feedback-discussion-feedback pattern is essential. Once students have mastered the
structure of the Socratic circle itself, modifications can be made according to content, focus,
purpose, and so on.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 25
Socratic Circle
Arguing Civilly
(from With Rigor for All, 2nd edition by Carol Jago, 2011)
Sentence stems to scaffold students
1. I can understand how you see it that way, but I…
2. Where did you see that in the text?
3. If I were in this character’s place…
4. Those lines make me feel as though…
5. When I compare this with what came before…
6. I can understand how you see it that way, but I…
7. Does this word have other connotations?
8. I was struck by the line where…
9. I’m unsure. Can you please come back to me?
With Rigor for All, Carol Jago (2011)
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 26
Rules for Classroom Discussion
(from With Rigor for All, 2nd edition by Carol Jago)
1. Students must talk to one another, not just to me or to the air.
2. Students must look at the speaker while he or she is talking.
3. Students must listen to one another. To ensure that this happens, they must either
address the previous speaker or provide a reason for changing the subject.
4. Students must all be prepared to participate. If I call on someone and he or she has
nothing to say, the appropriate response is, “I’m not sure what I think right now, but
please come back to me later.”
5. No side conversations, copying of math homework, or texting.
With Rigor for All, Carol Jago (2011)
Actively Listen
1. Be other-directed; focus on the person communicating
2. Follow and understand the speaker as if you were walking in their shoes
3. Listen with your ears but also with your eyes and other senses
4. Be aware: non-verbally acknowledge points in the speech
5. Let the argument or presentation run its course
Don't agree or disagree, but encourage the train of thought
6. Be involved:
Actively respond to questions and directions
Use your body position (e.g. lean forward) and attention to encourage the speaker and signal
your interest
http://www.studygs.net/listening.htm
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 27
Grammar Minilesson
Based on The Scarlet Letter
CCSS Appendix B Page 145
Using Syntax to Make Meaning:
The road, after the two wayfarers had crossed from the Peninsula to the mainland,
was no other than a foot-path. It straggled onward into the mystery of the primeval
forest. This hemmed it so narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side,
and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it
imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.
The day was chill and somber. Overhead was a gray expanse of cloud, slightly
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 28
stirred, however, by a breeze; so that a gleam of flickering sunshine might now and
then be seen at its solitary play along the path. This flitting cheerfulness was
always at the further extremity of some long vista through the forest. The sportive
sunlight—feebly sportive, at best, in the predominant pensiveness of the day and
scene—withdrew itself as they came nigh, and left the spots where it had danced
the drearier, because they had hoped to find them bright.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 29
Think aloud:
I am reading along and when I get to this sentence I am lost. This hemmed it so
narrowly, and stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such
imperfect glimpses of the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the
moral wilderness in which she had so long been wandering.
The first word “this” refers back to the previous sentence. I need to know what
“this” represents, the antecedent of the pronoun. The closest antecedent is
primeval forest, but I need to read the previous sentence entirely to make sure this
does not refer back to the subject of the previous sentence. Again I am faced with
another pronoun at the beginning of the sentence “it.” Now I must read the first
sentence to identify “it” to make certain that the antecedent I want is primeval. The
sentence begins “The road,” which is then followed by an intervening clause set off
by commas. The main clause reads “The road was no other than a foot-path.” The
information between the commas tells me that the road changes to a foot-path
when the travelers move from the Peninsula to the mainland. I can infer that
traveling on the narrow foot-path is more difficult than traveling on the road,
which would have been wider and clearer from more frequent travel. Again I can
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 30
infer that these two Wayfarers are taking the road less traveled. My question is
why would a woman and her small child travel alone on a footpath into a dark
forest? Where are they going? Where have they been? I go back to the main
sentence “The road was no other than a footpath.” The linking verb “was” is like
using an equal sign in math. (Road=footpath) Now I see that the pronoun “it”
stands for the road that has now become a foot-path. I can substitute foot-path for
“it” and the sentence reads “[The footpath] straggled onward into the mystery of
the primeval forest. Vocabulary words straggled and primeval along with the mood
word mystery are critical in this sentence. Straggle means to wander from the
proper path. From straggle, I know the Wayfarers have wandered onto an
improper path. They are in a mysterious place, which I think means their journey
or destination might be uncertain or unknown. A primeval forest is an original
forest that has never been cut. It would have been witness to original people from
the beginning of time. What would this forest know about the human experience?
Now I am back to my confusing sentence. This hemmed it … If I substitute
antecedents for the pronouns, I might try The foot-path hemmed the primeval
forest, but that doesn’t make sense; however, if I try The primeval forest hemmed
the foot-path it works. Also, it makes sense that “this” should refer back to the
closer noun in the previous sentence. Now I can substitute my nouns and continue
reading my sentence The primeval forest hemmed the foot-path so narrowly, and
stood so black and dense on either side, and disclosed such imperfect glimpses of
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 31
the sky above, that, to Hester’s mind, it imaged not amiss the moral wilderness in
which she had so long been wandering. Now I am fine until I get to the words
disclosed and imperfect glimpses. I know what closed is and dis means the
opposite so I could substitute the word opened for disclosed. I know the word
perfect, and im means not. I need to look up the word glimpses because I have no
idea what it means. Dictionary.com defines glimpse as a very brief passing look,
sight, or view. The troublesome part of the sentence reads and disclosed opened
such imperfect (not perfect) glimpses (brief passing sight) of the sky above, that,
to Hester’s mind, it imaged (to reflect the likeness of) not amiss (wrongly) the
moral (the distinction between right and wrong) wilderness (a bewildering mass
or collection) in which she had so long been wandering (moving from place to
place without a fixed plan). After studying the vocabulary and understanding the
basic meaning. I need to read the text as Hawthorne has written it and move away
from my clumsy translation back to the artful way that he constructs the sentences
and builds meaning.
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 32
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 33
Strategies Proficient Readers Use
Grammar Minilesson
The Scarlet Letter (CCSS, App. B, p. 145)
1. Re-read for a specific purpose when meaning breaks down
2. Use punctuation
3. Find the main clause and read it without intervening phrases and clauses
4. After working the sentence re-read it fluently with comprehension
5. Visualize
6. Make connections to background knowledge
7. Look for figurative language to find layers of meaning
8. Look for parallel structure to understand how parts of a text add meaning to other parts
9. Look for patterns
10. Look for repetition
CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 34
The Unit Organizer
4
NAME
DATE
BIGGER PICTURE
CLASS 2
LAST UNIT/Experience
1
Text complexity 8
UNIT SCHEDULE
Narra ve Wri ng Studying Literature 5
UNIT MAP
i s ab
out .
..
th
ro
University of Kansas Center for Research on CLASS: Reading Literature ELA 5‐12 Learning 2006 b y em
b
ed
din
g
Language Analyze Discuss Evaluate 6
UNIT
UNIT SELF-TEST
QUESTIONS
h ug
3.
What is the role of speaking and listening in the study of complex texts? 4. What does text‐embedded grammar and vocabulary instruc on look like? 5. What do students gain when they write about the literature they read? Wri ng about Literature b y RELATIONSHIPS
c ng
e
l
Complex e
Debrief HW by s Building knowledge by grappling with r
Texts Selec ng works of excep onal cra and Complex thought that offe pr of ound ins i ght s Texts g
cin into the human condi on and serve Close c
as models for students’ own thinking ra
Reading p
y
and wri ng b
Discussing Close the Text Reading Vocabulary Grammar Wri ng Speaking about & Listening Literature 1. How does the complexity of texts impact student learning? What student and teacher behaviors insure that close reading takes place? 2.
7
4 NEXT UNIT/Experience
3
CURRENT
CURRENT
UNIT UNIT
4 CLASS: Reading Literature Participant’s Manual 6 October 2011 35