Rachel Crozier

Understanding Characters by Noticing Patterns in Their Actions and Reactions

4/6/16
Content Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7
Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.4
Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings
clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and
texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Lesson Context
This lesson follows Lucy Calkins Readers Workshop model, infused with Jennifer Serravallos
independent reading goals, that each of our reading lessons follows. This model utilizes the
structure of a connection, a 5-7 minute mini lesson which includes an active engagement, a
link to explicitly bridge the mini lesson concept to students independent reading, a midworkshop teaching point 10 minutes in to students independent reading, two strategy groups,
an intentional partnership conversation, and a share which focuses on the partnership. This
lesson falls as a supplemental lesson in the Series Character unit to teach students how to
recognize character traits in the series theyve been reading with their partners.
Learners Background
Instruction for first grade readers has focused on strengthening partners conversations about
books students are reading; students have been placed in partnerships based on their reading
level to ensure conversations are about books of similar depth. Partnerships have been
developed through explicit teaching of how partners look (see chart), and structured
conversations are incorporated into every reading lesson. Students have individual reading
goals, and strategies to obtain these goals. Their partnerships are designed to enhance real-life
conversation skills, and to mirror mature conversations about literature.
Student Learning Objective

Students will independently notice patterns in character reactions to events in the book,
and they will document this noticing with post-it notes.
Students will practice the skill of adding on to their partners ideas as they share their
noticing and character traits in their partnership conversation.

Assessment

Overarchingly, students are assessed by their improving DRA scores and their
achievement of independent goals, as determined by regular conferences with the teacher.
Students will share their post-it notes with their partner, and engage in a thoughtful
discussion about character traits and the process of determining that trait.

Materials
Lucy Calkins Book
Jennifer Serravallos Reading Strategies Book to determine/plan Strategy Groups
Leveled Series book bags
Post-It Notes
Cork and Fuzz by Dori Chaconas
Long-Term Reading Partners
Key Concepts/Vocabulary
Reaction
Pattern
Personality is who someone is on the insides
Initiation
(2 min) Connection: A quick story about how I notice somebodys reactions, how I can see a
pattern, and how it has helped me understand their personality- who they are on the inside.
Im going to tell you a story about when I was a girl, your age. When Ms. Crozier was
in first grade, she spent a lot of time with her mom, like many of you do. There was something
funny about my mom though; every time I didnt clean up after playing, she got upset with me!
She would frown and say You know how to clean up! Im not going to do it for you! She
reacted this way every time I didnt clean up. But, as soon as I cleaned up, she gave me a hug
and a kiss and. She did this every time I did clean up. I found a pattern in how she reacted, and
this pattern told me that she really was very loving! Her personality, who she was on the inside,
was a loving and caring mom.
Development
(5 min) Teaching Point: Readers, you have the power to get to know the personality of a
character who they are on the inside just like we get to know the personalities of our friends
and family. We do this by paying close attention to how a character reacts to all the events in the
story, and looking for patterns that show who they are deep down on the inside.
-Model a picture walk, noticing Fuzzs face and body as he reacts to Corks ideas. State
what he is reacting to, how he reacts, and how we can see a pattern in these reactions. Do one
T&T for students to practice discussing a reaction of Fuzz. By the end of the book, notice a
pattern in his reactions, and name his personality who he is deep on the inside. Use the post-its
in the book as stopping places.

(4 min) Active Engagement: We just did a picture walk, noticing how Fuzz reacts to Cork and
the events in the story. We found a pattern that showed us who Fuzz is on the inside; what his
real personality is. We found that he is loyal and positive. (Add these traits to the evolving
chart.)
You and your reading partner brought one of your series books with you to the rug.
You are going to do the same sort of picture walk together, looking at the pictures, thinking about
how the main character is reacting to events in the story and other characters, looking for a
pattern, and wondering how does this pattern help me know who my character is on the inside?
What is his personality? Turn and talk with your partner now, and I will come around and join in
the conversations.
Share a pattern or two that I overheard partners discussing.
Link: Readers, you are on your way to seriously knowing your characters in your series,
because you are noticing how they react, you are thinking about the patterns that might help us
know who they are on the inside. Readers dont just look at the pictures though.they also read
and reread. When you go off to read independently, I challenge you to pay special attention to
how your characters react, to a pattern in these reactions, and what that might tell us about their
personalities who they are on the inside.
-Remind students of how many groups can sit on the rug, in the lib, etc.
-Let students know that I would be meeting with two groups during the independent
reading time.
1. Strategy Group #1 is Anwara and Lauren: plot vs. theme (7 minutes)
Mid-Workshop Teaching Point: Readers, you are deep into your series books right now, and you
have been looking for those patterns in your characters. Sometimes, this can be difficult to do
with just our eyes and memories. A great tool to help us keep track of those pages, those parts of
your story where you start to see a pattern, is a sticky note. In my book of Cork and Fuzz, I put a
sticky note on any page that I noticed Fuzzs reaction and where I thought it might help me see a
pattern. Now, as you continue reading, I would like you to use your sticky notes to keep track of
those pages where you also see a character reacting, where you notice a pattern in your
characters personality. Keep on reading and sticking, until I let you know when its time to have
conversations with our partners.
2. Strategy Group #2 is Liv and Loring: Connecting through empathy
(10 min) Partner Conversation: Readers, we are practically experts on our characters. I would
like you to have a conversation with your partner about the pattern that you found in how your
character reacts to the events in the story. Use those sticky notes to talk about each event. Talk
about what you learned about your characters personalitywho they are on the inside.
Remember what partners look like!
Confer into Partnerships: Willow and Nyala, Lauren and Akshay, Michaela and Abe and
Anwara, Catalina and Alex (ask them to be the Share as well)

Closure
(4 min) Share: Have students put their books away and sit in their spots around the rug. Explain
that partners not only listen to one anothers ideas compliantly, but they stretch their thinking by
adding on new ideas too! Introduce Sofia and Sam; invite them to be models for partner time.
Focus on how they not only listened to what the other was saying, but they extended their
thinking and the conversation by adding on new ideas. Prompt Sam and Sofia to share their
ideas with the group, and ask the surrounding fish bowl students to reflect on the honored
partnership.
Differentiation
Which students do you anticipate may struggle with the content/learning objectives of this
lesson?
Student
name

Evidence that the student

needs differentiated
instruction

How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to

support student learning?

Willow

Receives Tier 2
intervention.

Willow will be partnered with Nyala, as they share

the same reading level. Willow will be expected to
identify only one character trait, and this noticing will
be re-taught in a strategy group.

Nyala

Receives Tier 2
intervention.

Nyala will be partnered with Willow, as they share

the same reading level. Nyala will be expected to
identify only one character trait, and she will receive
extra practice in a strategy group with Willow.

Which students will need opportunities for enrichment/higher level of challenge?

Student
name

Evidence that the student

needs differentiated
instruction

How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to

support student learning?

Alex

Rate of reading increases

before comprehension
strengthens. Frequently
states I cant learn
anything from this book.

Alex will be partnered with Catalina, as they share

similar reading goals and levels. Alex will be
encouraged to practice re-reading, slowing down to
make personal connections to the text, and engaging
with the characters experiences.

Catalina

Rate of reading is high, but

personal application of
knowledge is low.

Catalina will be partnered with Alex, as they share

similar reading goals and levels. Catalina will be
encouraged to empathize with her character, to make
text-to-self connections, and identify one trait.