Fab-Fiction: Close Reading
Teacher Raymond Huber
| YEAR
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LEVEL
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DURATION
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| 5-6
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3
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4 weeks
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| Achievement Objective Being Assessed
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Learning Outcomes
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Close Reading
Discuss language, meanings and ideas in a range of texts, relating their understanding to experiences, purposes, audience, and other texts.
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Read and respond to the language and meaning contained in narrative writing:
- read and listen to a variety of short fiction
- make a personal response to a story
- describe a place and a character
- discuss the structure of a plot
- identify the words a writer uses to describe setting and character.
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| Processes
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| Exploring Language
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Explore choices made by writers and identify and use the common conventions of writing.
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| Thinking Critically
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Identify and express meanings in written texts draw on personal background, knowledge and experience.
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| Supporting Achievement Objective
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Learning Outcomes
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Poetic Writing
Write on a variety of topics, shaping, editing, and reworking texts in a range of genres, and using vocabulary and conventions, such a spelling and sentence structure, appropriate to the genre.
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- Develop ideas that are significant in the story
- Focus on developing main points and a sequence of events
- Use a variety of sentence structures for effect
- Select a range of vocabulary to suit the audience and the purpose.
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Teacher Background Reading
Introduction
Close Reading means paying close attention to a story and asking, 'How has the writer constructed this text to tell a satisfying story?' This unit uses short fiction because it engages younger readers and it encapsulates all the key features of narrative. The aim is for children to understand the structure and features, as well as to find stories to enjoy.
Before beginning the Features of Narrative activities, take the first week to generate interest in short fiction and encourage students to make personal responses to the stories. Then focus on each section of features of narrative eg setting, character and plot. Always discuss the learning outcomes for each section so students understand why they are doing the tasks. Students should be given choices.
Reading Log
Students will be provided with a
reading_log (RTF 10KB)
to record the books they have read during the unit.
Reading logs help students interact with texts. They provide a record of what they have read and a starter to discuss what they have read. They help students reflect on themselves as readers.
Students need to write in their log frequently. The reading log can focus on:
- what characters they like/dislike, giving reasons why
- predictions about what might happen next
- what they would do if they were a particular character
- how they felt about what they have read/are reading
- things that are causing them difficulty
- language that has created pictures in the mind
- the author's style
- the author's theme/message.
Reading Logs provide feedback about:
- how actively involved the reader is with the book
- what decisions students are making about their selections
- where they need help
- what understandings and interests they have about books
- how to discuss the story further through a reading conference / a small group / in a literature circle
.
Reading Logs should:
- be voluntary responses - not a "chore"
- be meaningful - not a "time filling" activity.
Reading Logs are:
- a form of self and teacher assessment.
The teacher needs to:
- model how to keep the reading log
- provide the framework for responses
- encourage the students to keep the reading log up-to-date (provide time for this)
- give feedback regularly
- monitor that a range of texts are being read
- make time for peer sharing of reading logs
- keep the motivation and enthusiasm in books alive.
Teaching and learning activities
Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:
- Could be printed on a grid and students contract to do number of activities in the week depending on ability.
- Could be displayed on a learning centre board.
- Could be printed on cards and divided into writing-based tasks and non-writing tasks. Students select an agreed number from both sets.
Learning task 1
Learning task 2
Learning task 3
Learning task 4
Assessment
Assessment Task:
Students read a story they have not read before and complete the following activities:
- Story map the events in the story that show the main problem and how it is solved.
- Write a statement about the things that captured your attention in the story.
- What descriptive language does the writer use to help you picture the setting? Why has the writer used these words?
- Describe one story character. Include details of appearance, interests, and things the character said.
assessment (RTF 7KB)
self (RTF 16KB)
Resources
Electronic:
