Grade Level/Subject: 4th grade Reading Topic: Building Theories about Characters Rationale: It is important for students to know

how to learn to build theories about characters by using inferences so they are able to start building the needed skills to quotes, determine and compare/contrast elements in a text in later grades. CCSS: 4.RL.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences for the text. Behavioral Objective: During silent read students will practice building theories about the main character in their book. For full mastery, students must be able to conference with teacher and tell teacher the theory they came up with about their character and why they think that. For partial mastery, students will be able to build a theory about a character but are unable to tell teacher why they built this theory. No mastery is earn is students is unable to build any kind of theory about a character. Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: Students will need to know how to infer, predict, and envision as taught in part one of unit two in Lucy Calkins A Curricular Plan for the Readers Workshop, Grade 4. Students also need to know how to recount details from a text, ask and answer questions from a text and identify/explain about characters in a text. Material/Resources: Lucy Calkins A Curricular Plan for the Reading Workshop, Grade 4. Unit two, part two of this material will be used. The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo Students independent choice reading book Focus/Review: We just wrapped up learning how to envision, predict and infer while we are reading. Go knee-to-knee with a partner and review how to envision, predict and infer while reading or ways that you have envisioned, predicted, or inferred while silent reading. Objective as stated for students: Now, we are going to stretch inferring a little bit more and use our inferencing to build theories about characters. This will help us start building reading skills that can help us compare and contrast as we progress in our reading. Teacher Input: In life, as well as in books, we watch how people act, noticing especially how they respond to events. By doing this we formulate theories about them. An example of this in real life is, I noticed that way that some students pulled together the other day when a classmate was hurt. I saw one boy making a bandage out of a paper towel, and from his actions, I got the idea that he is quick thinking and resourceful. Do you see how I made a theory about a boy by observing his actions? We need to do this as we are reading as well. We can do this by paying attention to

not only what a character does, but also to how the character does these things. Think, does the text give away any clues about the characters gestures or the way a character walks or sits or closes a door? Think about the reasons for a characters actions. Is a character slouching in a chair? Then ask yourself, why is she sitting like that? Is she bored? Guided Practice: As I continue to read The Tigers Rising, begin to think about why the characters are doing the things they are doing. (Teacher will read Chapter Seven aloud to the class). (Teacher will stop at various points to receive thoughts about the concept from the students) What did you think about when Rob shrugged his shoulders? Why did he do this? What do you think he is thinking? (Student give feedback. Teacher continues reading) This is a pretty bold action by Sistine. What does this make you think of Sistine? Why is she doing this? (Students give feedback. Teacher reads until the end of chapter) Independent Practice: Now we are going to break into our silent reading. Please go to your reading zones and read silently. As you read, begin to make theories about a character in your book. Think about their actions and why they are doing those things. Closure: Please go knee-to-knee with someone around you and talk about theories you began to build as you read your book. Assessment: During silent reading, the teacher will circle the room doing one on one conference with a student. This conference will compose of the student reading a page aloud to the teacher. Next the student will be asked to make a theory about a character in their book. The student will need to show, in the text, why they made that theory. Any attempt to make a theory about a character by referring to a characters actions in the text shows mastery. Any attempt to make a theory about a character without referring to evidence in the text shows partial mastery. No attempt at making a theory about a character shows no mastery. Plans For Individual Differences: Noise cancelling headphones will be provided for student who is distracted easily during silent read. References: Lucy Calkins A Curricular Plan for the Reading Workshop, Grade 4