Webinar notes from live webinar (quick and very brief)

group of individuals that believe in the CCSS and their potential

o advocate for the CCSS
achievethecore.org
connection of analyzing text complexity and scaffolding
be familiar with tools for analyzing and planning instruction
planning text with students, support, sequencing
What do we get out of the text?
o What is the big idea?
What is a complex text?
o rich texts
major themes
alternative perspectives
beautiful
content comes to life
o complex sentences
o dense information
o uncommon vocab
lightbulb moment
o My lightbulb moment in the text was the end of line 39 to the middle of line 40
Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God
no matter what we look like, we are the same on the inside, and
thats what counts
vocab
o wringing, divine, ascribe, fervently, etc
syntax
o runon sentences, lines 41 -43
archaic language
o woe, cometh
words with other meanings
o pass away, drawn (blood)
figurative language
o drop of blood, drawn by the sword
more support with complex students for them to achieve a higher
level
How can carefully crafted and sequenced questions help students
toward the big idea?
o breadcrumb trail
Supports
o line #s
o auditory
o pre teach vocab
o glossary
DONT
o assign for homework
o text based questions

o
o
o
o
o

re write
alter
explain meaning
summary
steal their lightbulbs
achievethecore.org/lessonplanning

Exploring Text-dependent Questions

3/3
Informational Text: Reading for Inquiry
Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How question.
o Why do birds lay eggs?
o What is immune?
o How do the tadpole get out of the egg? Do they eat it or just pop out?
I love how she models what she wants the students to do, has them practice as a whole
class, and then have them do it for real in their cooperative groups.
I love that she puts the questions up and collects the facts and answers as a whole
class, giving them a model of how to do it on their own.
I love that it incorporates all subjects in reading workshop.
3/10
Class Handouts Text Complexity Questions
Most of the questions are good except the definition one (#1) and the picture one (#3). I
think that if a student has not heard or used to word valiant, they are not going to know
what it means. I had two different answers for question 1. For the #3, I think this is more
of an opinion type contrast question. Someone might like one bird over the other or they
may see the birds the same, so this question would not assess the students
comprehension or reading ability.
#2 could use some work. This is more of an explicit question, have students to look right
there for the answer and not think about it.
o Why do you think some people did not agree with the choice of making the eagle
the national symbol?
Text Dependent Video
3/17
Close readings
o Ask text dependent questions
Select text that support standards and able for students to go back to for a period of time
Questions progress from:
o general understanding
o key textual details
o vocabulary
o text structure
o authors purpose
o inferences
o opinions / arguments
All questions need to be addressed
Day one
o Who is the main character
o How do I know they are important

o What are things that the character does

o Show how thinking changed
Day two
o What are some of the words that show how she is feeling
o What are the feelings that these words tell us
o What words make you think she was
o Words dont say the feelings, but how do you know they are the feelings
Use words from the book
Day three
o What is the difference between the thinking
o Have her feelings changed
o Using clues from text, why do you think feelings have changed
Initially students will struggle, but with teacher support, they will be successful

Text Dependent Article

Close readings = deep thinking
Use blooms taxonomy to create questions
Determine # of days spent on text
Three day model