Lesson 3

Strategy Focus: Background Knowledge, Vocabulary, Preview, Prediction, Main idea,

Details, Writing a Story and Character Analysis
Common Core State Standards:
Reading Standards for Literature Grade 9-10
CCSS 3: Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance
the plot or develop the theme.
Writing Standards Grade 9-10
CCSS 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
CCSS 5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
CCSS 6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technologys capacity to link
to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
CCSS 9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Speaking and Listening Standards Grade 9-10
CCSS 1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 910 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
CCSS 2: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Language Standards Grade 9-10
CCSS 1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
CCSS 2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
CCSS 3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
CCSS 4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 910 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
CCSS 6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Student Learning Objective

I can read and comprehend text in English.

 I can determine the characters of a story and words to describe personality.

I can write a story with characters, setting, and events.
I can clarify the meaning of unknown English vocabulary and use the words in my
writing.

Materials
Nothing But White by Susan Rose Simms (Lexile Level BR)
Vocabulary Collector
What is in a Name? Character Analysis Graphic Organizer (From the Emerge Teachers
Guide)
Comprehension Quiz
Writing a Story Graphic Organizer: A Day in the Snow
Story Rubric
Lesson Description (Reading Period)
Warm Up Review the reading strategies chart created in last weeks lesson. Have
students explain preview. Partners then preview Nothing But White by Susan
Rose Simms together, and and answer the question What do you think will
happen in the story by looking at the pictures?. Student pairs will write 1 to 3
sentences about what they think will happen in the story.
Modeling On the chart paper labeled Reading Strategies from the previous
lesson, review the word predict under the before reading column. Explain that
predicting is making a guess about the future events of the story. Display Nothing
But White by Susan Rose Simms using the document camera and projector while
students look at their own copies of the book. Together preview the text and
discuss the title, pictures and pointing out new vocabulary. Create a class list of
predictions and share.
Guided Practice Students use the vocabulary collector to create vocabulary
semantic maps for the new words in the new text. While students work on finding
new vocabulary, the teacher works with small guided reading groups to practice
reading the text for fluency, pronunciation, and to clarify meaning. Also provide
groups with support on the vocabulary collector and discuss character traits of
Wyatt using What is in a Name? Character Analysis Graphic Organizer. As a
whole group review and discuss new vocabulary sharing students definitions,
synonyms, and illustrations.
Independent Practice Students practice reading Nothing But White by Susan
Rose Simms aloud with a partner. Partners work together to discuss and clarify
the text and practice identifying the main idea and 3 to 5 important details.
Differentiation Guided reading groups allow the teacher to assess student needs
abilities, and address the individual need of each student.
Lesson Description (Writing Period)

Warm Up Display Writing a Story Graphic Organizer: A Day in the Snow the
white board using the document camera and projector while students use
individual copies of the graphic organizer. Create a class list of snow vocabulary.
Students share their experiences with snow, and activities they enjoy doing in the
snow. Explain that the setting of the story Nothing But White by Susan Rose
Simms is in the snow. The main character, Wyatt, is skiing on a mountain.
Modeling Review the writing process, and explain that they are working on their
prewriting for a story (personal narrative) they will write about a time they were
in the snow. Model making a web of ideas and events that will be included in the
story, using a personal experience of the teacher. Include new snow vocabulary
from the class list. Make bubbles on the web for setting, characters, and 3 to 5
events.
Guided Practice Students create their own web on the graphic organizer to help
them think about their own snow story. The teacher will circulate the room
ensuring that students are including new snow vocabulary, setting, characters, and
3 to 5 events. After students have completed their webs, model how to use the
web to write a rough draft paragraph.
Independent Practice Students use their webs to write their own rough drafts.
They will also have writing conferences with the teacher for the revise and edit
process. Finally, they will publish their final copies on Google Classroom.
Differentiation Individual writing conferences allow the teacher to address the
individual needs of each students and work with them to improve their writing
skills.
Assessment of Student Learning (Did students meet the learning objectives?)Students
are formatively assessed on their comprehension of the text using observations during
guided reading groups. The teacher took specific observations on student ability to
articulate character traits for Wyatt. Students were summatively assessed using a
comprehension quiz. Students are also formatively assessed on their writing during
conferencing and summatively assessed using a rubric with their final copies of writing a
story about a day in the snow.
Teacher Reflection (What went well? What Changes should I make?) Students did well
on their assessments, showing that they comprehended the text after several readings.
Students were able to identify the main idea of the story easily. Students need more
practice identifying character traits. Guided reading groups were successful at
encouraging discussion about the text among small groups of students, and clarifying
events and concepts. This lesson there was more focus on fluency and pronunciation, and
formative observations show improvement in this area. Students also showed more
understanding of the writing process. They were able to use their knowledge of summary

writing and transfer it to writing their own stories including characters, setting, and 3 to 5
important events.