Text Study Design

ACG Institute 2015

Lois Barker

Region 4
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
1:25 -2:25 pm

Teacher Development Specialist

Houston ISD
lbarker3@houstonisd.org

Participants Guide

Notes

Agenda:

Digital
Resources
&
Research

Wonderings
&
Confirmations

Warm-Up Padlet:
http://padlet.com/lbarker3/textstudy

1. Warm up & Introductions

2. Five Steps of the Design Process with
Modeling & Practicing
3. Debrief
4. Exit Ticket/Closure
Step 1: The Science of Text Selection &
Conducting the First Read
How do you know a text is engaging?
Engaging texts are Are well-written
Strongly address a particular
reading skill or area of focus (e.g.
Imagery, characterization, and
figurative language)
Have universal themes that can be
easily integrated into other
content areas or connections to
other texts student have read or
will read.
Illustrate desired genres or styles
of writing that you will focus on
during the unit.
Appropriately speak to students
interests, concerns, or social

Text Study PD Website:

http://readtechwrite.weebly.com
Text Study PD Resource Website:
http://textstudydesign.weebly.com

Brain Prep:
What is your favorite
A text study is an intensive reading text?
and interaction with a text of any
genre or structure--fiction novel,
Why are you drawn to
nonfiction book, poetry, play, etc.
it?
What is a text study?

Region 4 AGC Institute 2015 Text Study Design Lois Barker

issues.
Step 1: The Science of Text Selection &
Conducting the First Read
When conducting the first read
Be fully immersed
Star areas for potential questions
and ah ha moments
List possible universal themes
Read for general understanding
and experience
Step 2: Identifying The Universal Theme
When determining your theme
remember
Students, especially striving
readers, need a concrete idea or
concept to focus on when they are
reading.
What makes this text relevant to
all my students?
Present the theme as a statement
that represents the idea the writer
wishes to convey about his/her
view of the world, or observation
about human nature.

In her book, Authentic Strategies

for High-Stakes Tests, Dr. Joyce
Carroll explores six learning
theories. Dr. Carroll notes that in
order for students to fully connect
to learning the content, there
must be a meaningful connection
to their experiences. This is
known as the Meaningful Context
Effect.
Carroll, J.A. (2007). Authentic Strategies for
High-Stakes Tests: A Practical Guide for
English Language/Arts (p.12-13).

Refer to the Universal Themes

handout.
Step 3: Developing Guiding Questions
What are Good Guiding Questions?
Not simply reading
comprehension questions.
Allows students to make
important connections to literary
elements, selected universal
theme, and authors purpose.
Step 3: Developing Guiding Questions
Tips for creating good guiding questions:
Open-ended and does not have a
single right answer.

Refer to SAR Question Generator

attached to this guide.

Region 4 AGC Institute 2015 Text Study Design Lois Barker

Deliberately thought-provoking
and/or somewhat controversial.
Will lead students in generating
other essential questions.
Require students to draw upon
content knowledge.
Can be revisited multiple times to
guide and transform dialogue
and/or debate.

Step 4: The Second Read

When conducting the second read
create anticipatory questions for
each chapter:
-review major ideas
-cue readers mind for chapters
ahead
plan the in the Heat of the
Moment stopping points:
-allow students to make
predictions
-ask questions
-jot down thoughts in relation to
personal connections
- connections to the theme
-connections to other literary
elements, etc.
select the vocabulary:
-highlight key words critical to
understanding the text
-context clues instruction
note key literary devices:
-dive into authors purpose
-pay attention to the type of
devices used
-the frequency of the devices used
-how do the devices impact the
overall plot, theme, etc.

In the article, Reading Fiction

Whole, Ariel Sacks warns
teachers to avoid creating
unnecessary breaks during
reading. Sacks believes that
students become frustrated and
meaning is lost when teachers
parcel out literature.
Sacks, Ariel (2012).Reading Fiction Whole.
http://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2012/02
/29/02sacks.h05.html

Think About:
What is worth
knowing?
How can students relate
to this moment, this
chapter, or segment?
How essential is this
chapter, this moment,
or segment to
understanding the
theme?

Refer to the Be the Lead Reader

and Pump Up the Vocab
Everyday Excellence Routines on
www.houstonisdpsd.org

In the book, Bringing Words to

Life, Dr. Isabel Beck states it is
best to pre-teach 3-5 words per
segment. The authors also
suggest to choose words of:
Importance and Utility
Instructional Potential
Conceptual
Understanding
Beck, Isabel (2013).Bringing Words to Life.

Region 4 AGC Institute 2015 Text Study Design Lois Barker

Step 5: Going Beyond The Text

A text can be extended by making
connections to:

Refer to the To Kill a

Mockingbird sample design
matrix.

Social/historical context
Authors bio/background
Current events
Other thematically connected text
and/or genres
Multimedia connections
Culminating projects
Assessments

Debrief
Feel free to ask questions about the
overall process
How would this look/work consistently
over all genres, etc.

This is session was based on a

compilation research based of the
works of Carol Jago, Dr. Joyce
Carroll, Kaylene Beers, Colin
Irvine, and other educational
literature and sites such as
edweek.org.

Region 4 AGC Institute 2015 Text Study Design Lois Barker

Exit Ticket/ Reflection

Please complete the
attached survey prior to
leaving.

PossibleUniversalThemes

AbuseofPower

Friendship

Perseverance

Acceptance

Greed

Actionvs.Apathy

Hate

PoweroftheMindvs.
Authority

Prejudice

BeatingtheOdds

Heritage

PriceofProgress

Pride

QuestforKnowledge

Rebellion

Reconciliation

Religion

Changevs.Tradition
ComingofAge
Corruption
Courage

Heroes
Honesty
Identity
Ignorance
Innocence
Justice

DeathInevitable/
Tragedy

Disillusionmentand
Dreams

Divinity

EffectsofthePast

Faith

Mothering

Security/Safety

FallfromGrace

Nature

SeizingtheMoment

Family

NeedforChange

Survival

Fate

Obligation

TheOverlooked

Fear

TheRoadnotTaken

FearofFailure

Parentchild
Relationship

Peace

War

Freedom

WinnersandLosers

Beauty

Karma

Love

Reputationis
Everything

Revenge

Loyalty

Sacrifice

Manipulation

Secrecy

PeerPressure

SARQuestionGenerator

dothestagedirections/events/
characters

enhanceyour
understandingof

doesthe
behavior/reaction/personalityof
_________

reveal/clarify/
enhanceyour
understandingof

doestheauthor

make/create/
convey/illustrate
/clarify
make/create/
convey/illustrate
/clarify
related/created/
written/
described/
developed
written/
described/
enhancedby
portrayed/
depicted/in
conflictwith

doesthewritersapproach

arethethemes/settings/
characters

istheending/beginning/conflict

Why(do
youthink)

[is]themaincharacter[is]

doestheauthor

doesthemain
character

isthe

beginning/middle/
endofthestory
What

message/theme

doesthecharacter

doyouthink

thescene/characters/theme
/[charactername]s
transformation
thecharacter/theconflict/
thethemeof_______/the
climax/therelationship
between______
conflict/relationship/theme

conflict/relationship/theme

tooneanother/similarto/
differentfrom/relatedtothe
theme/tohighlight______

dialogue/toelicitemotion/
thesetting/appropriate/
vague
as________/[character
name]/asahero/asavillain
/[conflictingwith]hisorher
surroundings/[conflicting
with]himselforherself
create/describe/ [nameofacharacter]/
remainvagueor
setting/conflict/characters
ambiguousabout intentions
decide/change/ hisorhertrueselfor
reveal/conceal/ intentions/hisorhermind/
to[action]
written/left/
usingprimarilydialogueor
designedtobe
description/vagueor
ambiguous/withoutmuch
characterdescription
isconveyedby/is theauthor/theactionsof
revealedby
[charactersname]/the
endingofthestory
believe/reveal/ isimportant/abouthimor
haveincommon
herselfthrough______/
with
[characterorpersonname]
______hasin

commonwith
_____/isthe
purposeof
_______/isthe
messageof
________

SUPPORTYOURANSWERWITHEVIDENCEFROMTHETEXT(S)

How

istheauthorspurpose

Doyou
think

Who

inwriting/in
_____________________
describing/in
interviewing/in
listing/indefining
issimilar/differentbetween

characters/themes/
motivation/conflict/
outcomes
enhance/have/ ourunderstandingoftheme
thestage
orconflictorcharacterization
directions/characterization/setting create/help/
hinder/develop/ /somethingincommonwith
/[textspecificevent]/description
______/agoodidea/helpful
isorarereveal
of_________
toothers/theinnerdesires
of_______/amajorproblem
with_______/anegativeor
positiveaspectof
__________
themaincharacter
desires/fears/
tochange/adifferentlife/
wants/seeks
[textspecificidea]
[character/text]and[character/ are/have
similar______/different
text]
______/drivenbythesame
motivation/anythingin
common
[charactername]
made
therightdecision/amistake
theauthorsof[text]and[text]
have
asimilarpurpose/asimilar
audience/asimilarattitude
toward___________
doyouthink
is
thehero/thevillain/the
embodimentofthetheme/
thepurest/thefocus

TEXTSTUDYDESIGNMATRIX

MainText

UniversalTheme

ThemeDefinition

GuidingQuestions

ThematicallyLinked
Texts

ToKillaMockingbird
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9RtuM1akQkcDVxTkNRdjI0ZUU/edit

ToKillaMockingbirdPDFversion
https://ia600904.us.archive.org/9/items/ToKillAMockingbird_201307/To%20Kill%20a%20Mockingbird.pdf

SpringBoardLevel:Unit5ComingofAgeAmidControversy,pp.337411
https://springboard.collegeboard.org/SB/educator/home.action

Injustice/SocialInequality
Courage
Relationship
Prejudice

Unfairtreatment:asituationinwhichtherightsofapersonoragroupofpeopleareignored

Howdoestheauthorconveytheideaofjustice/injustice?
Howdoestheideaofjustice/injusticeimpacttheplot?Themaincharacters?
Howwasyourideaofjustice/injusticeformed?
Howisjusticelinkedtoprejudice?
Howdoestheauthorconveytheideaofprejudice?
Whatroledorace,culture,economics,gender,religionplay?

WhiteSocksOnlybyEvelynColeman
StarofFear,StarofHopebyJoHoestlandt
NightbyEliWiesel
PassagetoFreedom:TheSugiharaStorybyKenMochizuki
DiaryofAnneFrankbyAnneFrank
TheBlackMansPleaforJusticeByEpharaimDavidTyler
PinkandSaybyPatriciaPolacco
LangstonHughescollectionofpoemsinspiredbytheScottsborocase
ExcerptfromRosaParks
(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/scottsboro/filmmore/ps_hughes.html)
NationalEndowmentfortheHumanities:ToKillAMockingbirdandtheScottsboroBoysTrial:Profilesin
Courage

http://edsitement.neh.gov/lessonplan/killmockingbirdandscottsboroboystrialprofiles
courage#
FreedomSummerbyDeborahWiles
NYTimesTexttoText:IHaveaDreamSpeech&TheLastingPowerofDr.KingsDreamSpeech
(http://nyti.ms/1aqOu6V)
NYTimesTexttoText:PresidentJohnsonsGreatSocietySpeech&50YearsintotheWaronPoverty
(http://nyti.ms/1jahTXF)
NYTimesTexttoText:ARaisinintheSun&DiscriminationinHousingAgainstNonwhitesPersistsQuietly
(http://nyti.ms/1gulgmB)
IndianRemovalAct(http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/Indian.html)

Multimedia
Connections

Assessments

Culminating
Project(s)

TimeFrame

HistoricalContext

PossibleMini
Lessons
Academic
Vocabulary

TheBlackMansPleaforJusticeaudio(http://www.everydaymusiconline.org/13)
IhaveaDreamtext(http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dreamspeech.pdf)
NationalArchives(http://www.archives.gov)
IhaveaDreamvideo(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smEqnnklfYs)
IHaveaDreamaudio(https://archive.org/details/MartinLutherKingIHaveADream)
Picturefrom/postersfromNationalMuseumofAmericanHistorySmithsonianInstitute
(http://americanhistory.si.edu/)
SeparateisNotEqual(http://americanhistory.si.edu/brown/history/index.html)
CivilRightsTeacherResourceHandbookLibraryofCongress
(http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/primarysourcesets/civilrights/pdf/teacher_guide.pdf)
JapaneseAmericanInterment(ExecutiveOrder9066)(http://www.archives.gov/historicaldocs/todays
doc/?doddate=219)
JapaneseAmericanIntermentLibraryofCongress
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/manz/background.html)
BornFreeandEqualbyAnselAdamscontainsphotographsoftheManzanarInternmentCamp
(http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/manz/book.html)

Dialecticaljournals
Textannotation
Shortanswer
Processwriting
Timedwriting(dependingontimeofyear)

Speech
Poster
Publicserviceannouncement
Campaignplankforapoliticalparty
ResearchtheInnocenceProject
Researchanatypicalaspectofthedeathpenalty

68weeks

1930sGreatDepression
ScottsboroBoys
JimCrowlaws(http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm)
TheRiseandFallofJimCrow(http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories.html)
HolocaustMuseumHouston(http://hmh.org/default.aspx)

Rhetoricaldevices,TPCASTT,annotation,persuasivetechniques,sentencetypes,syntax,pointofview,
informationaltext,DIDLS,SOAPSTone,visualrhetoric,typesofappeal

Interment,ExecutiveOrder,RhetoricalDevice