Liz Rubio 10/28/17

Teaching Reading: Mini Lesson Format (Calkins, 2001)

Targeted Literacy Strategy or Skill: differentiating between large global questions and small
clarifying questions in a content area.
Grade level: 5th grade

Objective: The student will be able to differentiate between thick and thin questions and attempt to
answer them both.

OAS 2016 / Common Core State Standard:

5.1.R.2 Students will ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify about information presented orally
through text or other media to confirm understanding.
5.6.R.1 Students will use their own viable research questions to find information about a specific topic.

Prior knowledge: (What students already know)

Students know how to ask questions regarding the text they are reading to help them further understand
what they are reading about.

Observations/Rationale: (Before Lesson) What did you notice in your students work that let you
know this lesson was necessary? During guided and individual reading students know how to ask
clarifying questions, but they do not know how to differentiate between thick and thin questions.

Materials Needed
Lesson from Thick and Thin Questions STW p. 115
Mentor Text: So Long, Saturn from Scholastic News
https://sn56.scholastic.com/issues/2017-18/110617/so-long-saturn.html
Materials: Copies of mentor text for year student, expo markers, 3x3 sticky notes, smaller sticky notes,
document camera
Student Groups (whole/small group/partners): Start out as whole group, then shoulder partners.
Mini Lesson Format:
Connect (AKA~ Anticipatory Set, Engagement/Pre-reading):

All throughout this semester we have been practicing strategies to help us better understand the
text we read including Noticing and Exploring Thinking taught by Ms. Melissa, and Share Your
Questions About Your Own Reading taught by Ms. Maggie. Today we are going to expand on
those two ideas and think even deeper about asking questions while we read. We are going to do
that with a new concept called Thick and Thin Questions. Asking questions while we read is so
important because it helps us better understand the text. When we ask questions there are 2
categories of question types. These are Thick and Thin questions. Thick questions usually start
with Why? How come? I wonder? Or address large content areas, such as What is photosynthesis?
The answers to these questions are typically long and involved, and require a large amount of
discussion and further research. Thin questions are usually asked to clarify confusion or
 understand words. Questions that can be answered with a simple yes or no fall into this category.
An example of a thin question is How many moons does Neptune have?

Teach (Model/Explain)
Let me show you what I mean using the article So Long, Saturn from Scholastic News. As I
read I am going to ask questions about the text because we know this helps us understand what we
read. If my question is a thick question I am going to write it on the big sticky note. If it is a thin
question I am going to write it on the smaller sticky note. Then I am going to attempt to answer the
question on the back of the sticky note. It is completely okay to not know the answer to the
question, but if I do I am going to explain it on the back of the sticky note. Okay, lets see what
this strategy looks like.

Teacher reads first 2 paragraphs of article thinking about both thin and thick questions he/she
has.

Okay one question I have is from the second paragraph. I want to know why it took 7 years to get
to Saturn. Since this is a thick question that cant be answered with a simple yes or no, or a
number I know this is a thick question so I am going to write it on the front of the bigger sticky
note.

Teacher writes question on front of sticky note for students to see.

Now, on the back I am going to attempt to answer the question because good readers try to figure
out the answers to questions they have. I think it took so long to get to Saturn because it is so far
away from Earth, so I am going to write this on the back of the sticky note.

Teacher writes on back of sticky note for all students to see.

Another question I have from this paragraph is how many rings does Saturn have?

Do you guys think this is a thick or thin question?

Kid answers.

Good job! Yes it is a thin question.

Can you explain why?

Yes, it can be answered with just a single number and requires no additional research. Good job!
Because of this I am going to write it on the small sticky note.

Teacher writes question on sticky note.

On the back I can attempt to answer the question since I do not know the answer to it. I dont
know too much about Saturn, but from pictures I have seen I know Saturn has a lot of rings so I
 am going to put 20. When I have time to look the answer up I can X out my guess and put the
correct answer.

Teacher writes on back of sticky note.

Now that you guys know what this strategy looks like in action, you are going to try.

Active Engagement (AKA~ Check for Understanding: students try it out, teacher observes):

With your shoulder partner, read the next three paragraphs aloud and make sure to write down
any thick or thin questions you have while reading. Dont forget to put the thick questions on the
big sticky note and thin questions on the small sticky note and to attempt to answer the question on
the back. When you finish please put your pencils down so I know you are ready to move on. I
will be walking around the room so just raise your hang if you need help.

Give students approximately 3 minutes to read paragraphs and write down questions. If most
students are done before 3 minutes then continue onto next part. If the majority of students have
not finished after 3 minutes give 1-2 minutes more.

Who would like to share one of the questions they wrote on their sticky notes?

Call on a student to read their question.

Thank you! Is that a thick or thin question?

Write question on correct size sticky note depending on the answer.

Thats correct! And what did you put as the answer on the back?

Allow student to respond.

Awesome job. Thank you for sharing. Lets have 2 more people share a question they had while
reading

Repeat process with 2 more students.

Link (AKA~ Closing the Lesson [with accountability for the skill/process])

You guys did awesome today not only coming up with thick and thin questions but knowing the
difference between the two! Now, when you are reading and a question comes into your head you
can write it down on the correct sized sticky note and attempt to answer it. And dont forget, if
you do not know the answer to research it in your own time and write the correct answer on the
back of the sticky note. This will help you further understand what you are reading and help you
better understand the topic it is about.