Form 6.

3: Course Outline with Assessment Ideas and Activities

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 1. Preparing to Read

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Utilize pre-reading strategies.
2 Self-assess their strengths and Self-reflection
weaknesses as readers.
3 Develop a personal
organizational system.
Annotation Listen to my book Ask me questions Think-pair-share
talk about the novel about the book or the discussion making
and why I selected it. unit; Complete pre- text-to-text, text-to-
reading activities self, and/or text-to-
from annotation world connections
bookmark. with The Secret Life of
Bees after surveying it.
Read an article about Make a list as a class Reflect on their
writing assignment the characteristics of on the board of the strengths/weaknesses
a good reader. characteristics of a in written form using
strong reader. some of the ideas
generated on the
board.
Binder check, Look at a sample Organize their own Interview an adult
assignment binder I have made. binder and about why
notebook checks assignment notebook organizational skills
according to the are necessary in the
model. real world and report
back to the class.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 2. Surface Level Active Reading Strategies

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Summarize information Reading check quiz
accurately from a work of fiction. (short answer),
annotations,
worksheets (with
partner), exit slip
2 Write reactions and comments Annotations
in the margins while reading.
3 Formulate opinions about Annotations, think-
literature. pair-share, class
discussion
4 Reflect on how they feel while Annotations, think-
reading a text. pair-share, class
discussion
5 Ask closed-ended questions. Worksheet,
Read a chapter of the Write 3-4 word Reflect on the three
novel. summaries in the most important plot
margins after each details from the
paragraph or ½ page chapter and write
of dialogue. them on an exit slip.
Review annotation Annotate the first Switch books with a
bookmark. three pages together partner and identify
with my book on the deeper-level
overhead projector comments as well as
to model for surface-level
students. comments that could
be improved in the
partner’s book.
Review strategy of Annotate while Switch books with a
formulating opinions reading writing their partner and identify
on the annotation opinions about the deeper-level
bookmark. characters and the comments as well as
plot in the margins of surface-level
the text. comments that could
be improved in the
partner’s book.
Review strategy of Annotate while Write a reflection
expressing reading, writing their about how they felt
feelings/emotions on feelings in the while reading a text.
the annotation margins of the text.
bookmark.
Provide students Work with a partner Cite real world

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
 annotations, exit with examples of to write closed- examples of when
slip closed-ended ended questions closed-ended
questions. about the chapter questions are useful
and share them with or appropriate.
another group.

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 3. Digging Deeper with Questioning and Predicting

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Differentiate between open Worksheet, quiz, Give examples of Take a quiz and In a collaborate
and closed ended questions. think-pair-share, open vs. closed- correctly label each group, make a list of
board work ended questions. question as open or 5 open-ended
closed ended. questions to ask a
candidate on a job
interview, and then
“interview”
candidates from
another group using
those questions.
Reflect on the quality
of the questions
afterwards.
2 Ask open ended questions Socratic Seminar, Give examples of Write down open- Ask and answer
about a piece of literature. annotations open-ended ended questions as open-ended
questions that I they read the chapter questions during a
wrote in my book for homework. student-led Socratic
about earlier Seminar discussion.
chapters.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
3 Make inferences using textual Socratic Seminar, Read an example Use post-it notes in Share inferences and
support. annotations, literary analysis the margins of the supporting passages
literary analysis paragraph from a book to write during Socratic
paragraph former student who inferences next to Seminar discussion.
made an inference specific passages.
about a text and used
evidence to back up
the assertion.
4 Interpret relationships Socratic Seminar, Show students a Draw lines Use line symbolism
between characters. annotations, graphic web of the connecting and color to
literary analysis characters in the characters who have represent the quality
paragraph story. relationships. and strength of the
relationship (solid
line vs. dashed vs.
dotted line for
quality; warm colors,
like red or orange,
for healthy
relationships or
cold/dark colors, like
blue or black, for
negative
relationships).

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 4. Connecting the text

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Make text-to-self, text-to-text, Annotations, jigsaw Read a current Make connections to As a group, find one

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
text-to-film, and text-to-world with current events events article. the text by writing in article that connects
connections. articles, group the margins of the to the text, print it,
presentations, current events annotate it, and
research (print an article; also write present it to the
article and connections in the class.
annotate it with text while reading for
connections to text homework.
written in margins)
2 Identify historically accurate Annotations, jigsaw Read a chapter of the Star sentences from As a group, research
details included in a work of presentations novel for homework. the story that sound one event from the
fiction. like they might relate Civil Rights
to something in Movement and
history. present research to
the class, reading
passages from the
class text that include
accurate details
about that real
historical event.
3 Apply active reading Annotations in Read a nonfiction Annotate the article Write a journal
strategies for fiction to article current events using the same reflection about how
nonfiction articles. article. strategies from the the student’s
annotation personal active
bookmark. reading strategies
are similar and
different based on
the genre of reading.
Reflect on his/her
personal preference.
4 Compare and contrast the Venn diagram (or Read a nonfiction Create a Venn Write a journal
similarities and the differences another graphic current events Diagram as a class to reflection about how
between fiction and nonfiction. organizer), article. compare and to the student’s
informal class contrast the personal active

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
 discussion, exit slip similarities and reading strategies
differences between are similar and
fiction and different based on
nonfiction. the genre of reading.
Reflect on his/her
personal preference.

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 5. Exploring the Depths of Our Thinking

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Identify patterns and Annotations Watch Scholastic video Annotate while Make connections
repetition. podcast on author’s craft: reading by between Kidd’s
http://www.scholastic.com/ identifying craft and other
browse/media.jsp?id=621 elements of Sue authors we’ve read
Monk Kidd’s craft. as a class or that
students’ have read
independently.
2 Analyze how a thematic Literary analysis Read through a list of Circle the thematic Compare the
message develops throughout paragraph, possible thematic messages. messages that the themes he/she
a novel. quotation student noticed in noticed with a small
analysis quiz, the text. group of other
class discussion students. If one
(formal graded student has
discussion or something circled
informal that another
ungraded student doesn’t, the
discussion) student has to
explain why he/she

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
 circled that theme,
and if the other
student agrees with
the explanation,
he/she may also
circle it, but will
have to be able to
explain why if called
upon.
3 Defend an interpretation of Literary analysis Listen to a lecture about Write a literary Use Google drive to
a text using textual evidence. paragraph, TEA structure. analysis paragraph peer edit literary
quotation that incorporates analysis paragraph
analysis quiz, quotations from the with a partner.
class discussion text to support a
(formal graded claim.
discussion or
informal
ungraded
discussion)

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 6. Data Collection and Reflection

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Collect data on their active Annotation analysis Read through the Choose 10 Analyze active
reading behaviors. color-coding and data collection consecutive pages reading habits in a
data collection instrument and listen from the student’s written reflection,
worksheet as I explain how to annotated book. focusing on why
use it. Each time the some strategies were

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

2 Diagnose annotations as Annotation analysis Look at the data
surface level or deeper level. written reflection, collected, noticing
informal class that the columns on
discussion the left represent the
most surface-level
strategies and the
columns on the right
represent the
deepest-level
strategies with
strategies becoming
increasingly more
sophisticated as the
columns move
toward the right side
of the page.
3 Formulate specific goals for Annotation analysis Listen to lecture on
improvement. written reflection, how to develop
exit slip specific goals.
Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
student finds words used more than
written in the others and
margins, he/she evaluating the depth
makes a tally mark of thinking present in
under the the annotations.
appropriate column
of the strategy that
he/she used. Count
up the number of
times each strategy
was used at the end.
Count up the number Evaluating the depth
of times each of thinking present in
strategy was used. the annotations
through a written
reflection based on
whether the higher
numbers were more
toward the left side
of the page or the
right side of the page.
Write a practice goal Use data from
for something not annotation analysis
related to classroom to set goals for
content (like improvement in
shooting terms of using active
freethrows). reading strategies.
4 Self-assess their level of Annotation analysis Read the next Annotate the next Compare and
success at meeting self-created written reflection, chapter. chapter, trying to contrast the data
goals. informal class achieve his/her goal, from the first and
discussion and then complete second annotation
another annotation analyses, and
analysis. evaluate whether or
not the goal was met.
Write a new goal if
the goal was met.

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 7. Applying Active Reading Strategies to Discussion

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Write open-ended questions Socratic seminar Listen to recap about Write open ended Ask questions during
about reading to prepare for discussion the difference questions on post-it Socratic Seminar to
discussion. preparation sheet between open and notes while reading facilitate discussion.
closed-ended the next chapter.
questions.
2 Justify interpretation of a text Socratic Seminar Listen to questions of Find passages in the Share your response
during a class discussion. disussion other students. text that support with others verbally,
your answer to the justifying how you
question. arrived at that
conclusion, and
evaluate the
alternative
interpretations
offered by other
students.
3 Criticize ideas, not people. Socratic Seminar Listen to responses Find passages in the Evaluate the validity
discussion of other students. text that support or of the argument,

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
 refute the students’ using textual
claims. evidence as support,
during verbal
discussion without
attacking the
classmate.
4 Practice effective Socratic Seminar Read chapter about Practice Demonstrate
interpersonal skills. discussion, small interpersonal skills interpersonal skills effective
group work, think- in Person to Person in text while working interpersonal skills
pair-share speech in a small group to during Socratic
communication complete guided Seminar.
textbook. reading questions.
5 Demonstrate active listening Socratic Seminar Read section about Practice active Demonstrate
skills. discussion, small active listening in listening during effective active
group work, think- Person to Person informal class listening skills during
pair-share speech discussion. (I will Socratic Seminar.
communication point out students
textbook. demonstrating active
listening skills
throughout the
discussion.)

Course Title: English 101

Module Number and Name: 8. Post-reading Self-Assessment and Formal Assessment

Objective Assessment Ideas Absorb Do Connect

1 Draw conclusions about the Post-reading written Read a biography of Predict why the Use a collaborative
author’s intent. reflection, informal the author. author included mindmap on
class discussion certain characters or Mindmeister to

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
 plot elements in the support their
text. assertions with
textual evidence and
biographical
evidence about the
author.
2 Make inferences about the Post-reading written Re-read In small groups, Write a post-reading
meanings/reasons for reflection, informal annotations. identify where reflection in which
patterns/repetition. class discussion, patterns occur and students interpret
formal literary discuss why the the meaning of
analysis essay author used patterns/repetition
patterns/repetition. as part of the
author’s craft.
3 Construct an original thesis Brainstorming Listen to a lecture Write an original Use collaborative
statement. worksheet, thesis about how to write a thesis independently real time editing in
note card, formal thesis statement and in Google drive. Google drive to get
literary analysis essay read sample thesis feedback from group
statements. members about how
to revise the thesis to
improve it and give
others feedback.

4 Organize body paragraphs Outline, formal Listen to a lecture Write an outline for Peer edit in in Google
logically in TEA format. literary analysis essay reviewing TEA the body paragraphs drive to get feedback
structure. of the literary from group members
analysis essay, and about how to revise
then type the outline the thesis to improve
in Google drive. it and give others
feedback. Complete
the peer editing
checklist.
5 Use textual evidence to Outline, formal Re-read annotations Type quotations into Peer edit during a
support interpretation of a literary analysis essay to find appropriate the essay and cite group critique

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.
work of fiction in a formal evidence to support them correctly in activity by using
literary analysis essay. the thesis. MLA format, as Google drive to give
shown in the model. and to receive
feedback. Also
complete the peer
editing checklist.
6 Practice all steps of the Handouts/worksheets Read the visual Complete a pre- Complete a self-
writing process, including but for pre-writing, handout about the writing graphic reflection about the
not limited to pre-writing, formal literary steps of the writing organizer and easiest and hardest
drafting, editing, revising, and analysis essay, peer process. outline, and type the parts of the writing
publishing. editing checklist, one- paper in Google process, and set
on-one conference drive. Make the goals for future
revisions suggested improvement.
by group members Reflect on the overall
and the teacher. strengths and
weaknesses of the
paper.
7 Implement sophisticated Formal literary Listen to the Ask questions, make Evaluate the impact
elements of grammar and style analysis essay, one- teacher’s feedback revisions, and of the one-on-one
in their writing. on-one conference during the one-on- answer the teacher’s conference by
one conference. questions during the completing an online
one-on-one survey after the
conference. conference.

Form adapted from Smith, R. M. Conquering the Content. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.