Title: Read -Alouds for Performance Task Instruction

Big Idea(s): Fiction stories have characters. We can better

understand the stories by analyzing the characters. We can discuss
the characters physical characteristics, actions, thoughts, and
feelings, and how others feel about the character to infer. Pictures in
stories help us to identify key details and better understand the story.

Grade/Subject/Course:
1st Grade
Teachers:
1st grade teachers

Date: Oct 6-10

Objectives: To prepare students to independently complete the reading and narrative writing performance task by analyzing and writing about
fiction stories in graphic organizers, charts, and responses to literature.
Goals: Students will be able to discuss and write about a characters physical characteristics , actions, thoughts, feelings, and how others feel about
the character. Students will be able to use pictures to identify key details and better understand fiction story. Students will combine their
background knowledge and analysis to make logical inferences about a story. Students will use a variety of graphic organizers to guide their thinking
and writing.
Standards:
1RL1: Ask and answer questions about key details
in a text.
1RL3: Describe characters, settings, and major
events in a story, key details.
1RL4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
1RI1: Ask and answer questions about key details
in a text.
1RL7: Use illustrations and details in a story to
describe its characters, setting, or events.
1SL4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and
feelings clearly.
1SL5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas,
thoughts, and feelings.
1SL2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other
media

Vocabulary:
Physical characteristics , emotions, feelings, facial expressions, exclamation point, analyze, actions, thoughts, clue
Enduring Understandings:
Essential Questions:
Making inferences from the information we already know or gather What is a character in a fiction story?
through character analysis can help us better understand stories we
How can you identify the main or most important character?
read.
What clues can you use to tell how a character feels?
Graphic organizers help us remember what happened in stories.
What does inference mean?
Graphic organizers can be used to help guide us during writing and
What questions can you ask and answer about a book?
reading activities.
How can you use a graphic organizer?
Why is character analysis an important part of reading a book ?
Stage Two: Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks/Projects: Upcoming ELA Writing Performance Task What will happen after their trip?
Other assessments: Observation; Responses to Literature, Graphic Organizers, Constructed response; discussion , group Q & A
Materials needed: Fiction books, Chart paper , Promethean
Optional Materials: emotions poster, books about feelings and facial
Board ( preferred) Character Web for Physical Traits,
expressions, exemplars for a similar writing task, computer/ printer
Character Analysis Graphic Organizer, Samples of Performance
Writing Task Rubric, paper , pencils, crayons
Stage 3 : The Learning Plan

Mon.

O- say the word lost- do not show the book yet or inference and background knowledge about LOST. Ask
questions and give several kids time to reply to each. Examples-Have you ever lost anything? Have you ever
Discussion,
been lost? Have you ever lost in a competition or game? Do you know what it means to feel lost? Sounds like
whole group
lost could mean a lot of different things to different people or in different situations.
Show and read the title aloud and ask for kids to predict what the story will be about. Record on a chart.
Picture walk the selection silently, then asked what kids noticed. Add to the predictions chart. Discuss the
vocabulary, characters, physical characteristics, description, feelings, emotions, character analysis.
Optional-Use the prediction worksheet .
W- Read aloud- and discuss who the character/characters are and their feelings/actions. (Teacher choice
Suggested Book- Lost! By David McPhail.) Explain that the little boy and the bear in the book are both
characters. They are who the story is about.
Optional _ Show students the character web sheet for a person or animal.
Chart (example provided) picture clues that describe what the little boy looks like. Ask: "How did I know
what the little boy looked like in the story?" Students should respond that you are looking at the
pictures of the little boy in the story. Explain to students that in several weeks, they will be completing one of
these graphic organizers by themselves. Introduce and briefly discuss anchor charts: Narrative Graphic
Organizer. (If you use the Details, Inference, Explanation chart then you would model what details you know
by observing the boy in the book, then making an inference about the boy and his feelings and then going
back into the story to justify what you thought and what he really is.
We will identify a second character (the bear) in Lost! and chart picture clues that describe what the bear
looks like as we read the remainder of the story. (Add to the chart)
C- Share descriptions on your paper for the main character (s). Post your drawings after centers.
Suggestion Use Sam Come Back or another story that all children have access to and read in Reading Street
Unit 1 ). We will do a picture walk through a previously read book to prepare for the Independent Practice.
You will draw a picture of a character from the book (or a book at their independent level) and label the
picture with specific physical descriptions. (complete in stations)

Independent
Reading and
Writing

Tues.

Discussion,
whole group

O-Say brave without showing the cover of the book. Elicit kids responses and background knowledge
about the word BRAVE. Ask Questions. Ex- Who do you think of when I say brave? Have you ever decided
to do something even though you were scared? Do you know that firefighters , police officers, military
personnel have to be brave to do their jobs everyday? What does brave mean?
Review Essential questions- What is a character? How can you tell which is the main character? How can
you analyze a character?
W-Show the title page, read the title. Let kids infer what the book might be about from the picture, title, and
their background knowledge. After taking a picture walk add to those ideas. Suggested book- Sheila Rae,
the Brave by Kevin Henkes or teachers choice (Jamaicas Find by Juanita Havill or Amazing Grace for
example) and discuss who the character/characters are and their actions/feelings based on the events in the
story. I will begin modeling identifying Sheila Raes actions by using picture clues and the text in Sheila Rae,
the Brave by Kevin Henkes. I will chart (use details, inference, explanation) her actions stopping at page 8.
Think Check Ask: What did I do to help me figure out what Sheila Rae was doing in the story? Students
should respond that you looked at the pictures and read the text to find out what Sheila Rae is doing in the
story.
Guided Practice-Which character appeared the most? Lets picture walk the rest of the book to find out. We
will continue identifying and charting Sheila Raes actions by using picture clues and the text in Sheila Rae,
the Brave from page 8 to the end of the story. Optional Use Character traits Sheet.
C- Ask Essential Questions again Ex. What clues let you know how the character felt? What did the character
do ?(actions or story events) What does character analysis mean? Why should we analyze a character?
In stations, the students will draw and write an example of one of Louises actions in the story.
( for example use RS unit 1- The Big Blue Ox )

Independent
Reading and
Writing

Wed.

Discussion,
whole group

O- Show the cover of yesterdays story. Name the 5 parts of a fiction story. Let the student know that you
want to focus on how to identify the main character of a story today. Ask the essential question - How did
you know who was the main character? What other characters were in the book? Could there be more than one main
character? What do we call the other characters?

Review in yesterdays book, who the character/characters Explain the difference between a main
character , the one who appears on most of the pages or does most of the talking in a story , and a secondary
character. If more than one character appears a lot, theres more than one main character. Do a picture
walk through Sheila Rae, the Brave and tally the number of times each character appears in the story.
Identify Sheila Rae and Louise as the main characters since they appear more often than other characters in
the story. Ask: How did I know that Sheila Rae and Louise are the main characters in story?" Students
should respond that you counted how many times the characters appeared in the story by looking at the
pictures in the story. Use the picture walk and tally method with other familiar stories to practice
identifying the main character(s) vs . secondary characters . If time permits to do more character analysis,
another recommended story is Jamaicas Find by Juanita Havill. Use the graphic organizer in order to
practice identifying character traits and actions. We will continue with our new book discussing who the
character/characters are and their actions/feelings based on the events in the story. Model the new book just
like yesterdays lesson using the graphic organizer. Stop and do think alouds using picture clues and the text
to chart the actions and what helped us figure out the character.
Introduce briefly the rubric today for the performance task. Explain what a rubric is, the purpose and how we
use it for our work.
Guided Practice- Write a Response to the storyPrompt their writing by review what has already happened,
background knowledge, inferences, and asking questions. Ask-What do you think will happen next and why?
Model using clues from the story or background knowledge and inferences to help you write 2 or 3 sentences
about what the main character might do or say next. Include details such as the setting, events and what
other characters might do, say , or feel about.
C-Let the kids suggest more possible events to add. Ask essential questions. Discuss how the rubric will be
used to score this response to literature in the upcoming task.
In stations, have students use books at their independent level to draw a picture of what the main character
looks like and retell an action taken by the character in the story ( for example use RS unit 1- The Big Blue Ox )
Independent Have students write more about what might happen next if there were more pages to the story Big Blue Ox.
Reading and Students should be able to infer based on what they read in the story so far about how the characters act/ what
they do a few more things that could happen next. Encourage them to include in their writing, where it will
Writing
happen, and who will be involved or present.

s.Thur

Discussion, O-Share the title and picture walk a book of your choice . Suggested book -No, David! by David Shannon . Ask
whole group the essential questions. Who is the main character and why do you think so? How would describe the

character? What are the characters actions? How does the character feel about himself? How do others feel
about the character or the actions? What evidence can you give from the book to support your character analysis
? Review that an action is something someone does, such as running or writing or eating. I give several
examples of actions commonly done at school. W-Read the book No, David! by David Shannon aloud and tell
students that I will be looking at the pictures and text and thinking about what actions the main character,
David, is doing in the story. I will begin charting Davids actions by using picture clues and text in the book.
(Use your graphic organizer this week or one of your choice.) I will explain how I am identifying actions from
the book (by looking at the pictures, reading the text, and thinking about the story). Model a think check by
asking: "How did I identify David's actions in the book?" Students should respond that you looked at the
pictures and read the text and thought about what David was doing.
Guided Practice-We will read David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon and chart Davids actions in
the story by using picture clues and text. Allow the students to write a brief response of what might happen
next based on what they already know from the book. Remind them to include answers to some of the 5 w
questions and how.
Review the rubric again today. Explain what a rubric is, the purpose and how we use it for our work. Discuss
the faces and their meanings, and the categories. Ask- Can we use anything on our rubric to evaluate our
work today?
C-Pick one area, such as checking for complete sentences. Model a few possible responses written with many,
to a few, to one, to no errors to detail how to use the rubric . Be sure to explain that you will use the rubric and
that kids will do both a self -assessment and peer assessment.
In stations, have students use a book at their independent level to identify characters and their actions.
Students may also want to try a self assessment or peer assessment on one of their 2 written responses.

O- How do you use the book when completing a graphic organizer? How do you analyze a character? Why
would you analyze a character? Review the character, main and secondary, character and the character traits
and actions. Introduce the book David Goes to School! by David Shannon by showing just the cover. Take a
silent picture walk of just a few pages. Talk about this familiar character and how that helps us know what to
expect in this book based on prior knowledge. We can infer that he might act the same way he did in other
stories. How do you think he will act? Explain that inferences are made by using what you already know to
make a good guess about what will happen.
W-Read aloud pages 1-10 stopping to chart Davids physical traits, actions, and feelings from the story after
page 2. For example, on page 4, I see that David has a wide smile. He is dancing around the classroom, and he
feels silly. I will add these notes to my chart in each column. Model a think check by asking: How did I
identify David's traits and actions in the book? Students should respond that you looked at the pictures
and read the text and thought about what David was doing. Let students use their prior knowledge and the title
to predict some events that will happen. Finish the picture walk. Did anyone guess correctly or close to what
happens? Explain how you knew what to expect in this book. Let students use their prior knowledge and what
Independent they saw in the book to predict and infer what will happen. Remind students to be looking at the pictures and
and thinking about what actions the main character, David, is doing in the story as you read aloud. Stop to
Reading and text
add more details to the analysis as needed.
Writing
Guided Practice-In teacher stations, do the same as above with a book at their instructional level. (suggested
Pig in a Wig) Describe the Pigs physical characteristics, actions, and feelings. Write about what might
happen next if the story continued based on what you read, already know about pigs, or can infer.
Review the rubric today. Explain what a rubric is, the purpose and how we use it for our work. Can we use
anything on our rubric to evaluate our work today?
C- How did you know the characters actions or feelings? Why should we analyze characters? What can I use
to help me read and write about a story?

Fri.

Whole
group,
discussion

In stations, have students use a book at their independent level to identify characters and their actions.
Students may also want to try a self assessment or peer assessment on one of their written responses.