Smoky Night
2nd DRTA
Behavioral Objective A (BOA): Vocabulary
The students will use the text to define the vocabulary words in context of the story with 80% accuracy.
Behavioral Objective B (BOB): Comprehension
After the guided (silent) reading of each section of the story, the students will answer 3 out of 4 questions pertaining to the passages.
Behavioral Objective C (BOC): Oral Reading / Fluency
While working in small groups the students will read aloud selections of the text and their own written analysis, exhibiting good inflection and fluency to the teacher’s satisfaction.
Behavioral Objective D (BOD): Skill Objective
While working in small groups the students will collaborate to find at least three examples of literary devices within the teacher selected text of the story, exhibiting thoughtful analysis.
ALCOS Standards:
EL (4) - 4.) Identify literary elements and devices, including characters, important details, and similes, in recreational reading materials and details in informational reading materials.
• Identifying main idea
• Identifying author's purpose
EL (4) - 7.) Compare story elements and the experiences and feelings of literary characters to students' lives.
• Describing how events, settings, and characterization encountered in written text influence the thinking of the reader
• Identifying author's craft and technique for relaying intended message
Examples: dialogue, exaggeration, alliteration, imagery, parallel structure, logical arguments
Materials
Overhead Projector
Transparencies of Smoky Night
Dry Erase Markers
Student Copies of Smoky Night
Smoky Night
Vocabulary Handout
Pencils
Post It Notes
High Lighters
Notebook Paper
Scraps of Paper/Cardboard/String/etc.
Small Trash Can
Permanent Markers
Glue
Poster Board (Half Sheets)
Procedure
I. Before
A. Motivation & Schema
The Teacher will place a small trashcan on the desk and will begin removing apparent trash and placing in on the table for the students to see. The teacher will ask the students “how do you think these items relate to our reading lesson today?” The teacher will show the students the hardbound copy of Smoky Night and will explain to the students how much she likes this book and how excited she is to be sharing it with the students. The teacher will tell the students that they will have to pay attention to the illustrations to see how the trash on the table relates to the story.
B. Vocabulary
The teacher will pass out the vocabulary handout and will explain that the vocabulary words come from the story. The teacher will use the first vocabulary word to show the students how they are to circle if they think the word applies to a "who or what." The teacher will then get the students to help make a prediction about the definition of the first word and will fill this in on the left side of the sheet. The teacher will explain that the students are to fill in their own predictions of definitions of all of the words. The students are only to fill in the left hand side if the sheet. The teacher will allow the students to share their predictions about the words. The teacher will encourage the students to explain their thought process behind their predictions. The teacher will not correct any missed definitions. The teacher will tell the students that as they read the story they should look for the words in context and see if their predictions were correct. The teacher will praise the students’ creativity and thoughtfulness.
Staggering
Hooligans
Yowling
Drifts
Hazy
C. Setting the Purpose
The teacher will ask the students “have you learned yet about the author’s purpose for writing.” The teacher will ask the students to share what they have already learned. If the students have not yet studied this, the teacher will explain that authors write with a purpose usually to inform, persuade, or entertain. The teacher will also remind the students of their own creative writing and how they have a purpose when they write. The teacher will explain that today they are going to discuss and learn about some of the literary devises an author uses to express the intended meaning behind the story. The teacher will pass out the student copies of Smoky Night and will explain that they are going to read silently the story, in sections. As they read they should use their pencils to underline sections of the text they think are important or may relate to the authors purpose. They can also use Post It Notes to make notes about their observations of these sections or write questions they may have about what they have read. The teacher will also remind the students about the trash on the table and will remind them to also look for how it relates and contributes to the author’s purpose.
II. During
A. Guided Reading – Section 1
The teacher will instruct the students to look at the pictures and read the first page of text. After some of the students have finished reading the teacher will walk around the room showing the actual pages of the book so that the students may see the collages that make up the background of each page. The teacher will remind the students to use their pencils and post it notes to make notes. The teacher will tell the students if they finish reading before everyone else they should consider the author’s intended meaning. After the majority of students have finished reading the teacher will ask the students these questions:
1. What perspective is this story written from? (critical)
2. What is the mood of the people on the street? (inferential)
3. It’s hard for them because the TV is so heavy. do you think the author wants the reader to have sympathy with the people stealing? (looters) (creative)
B. Guided Reading – Section 2
The teacher will have the students silently read the next page of the story. After some of the students have finished reading the teacher will walk around the room showing the actual pages of the book. The teacher will tell the students if they finish reading before everyone else they should consider how the author uses literary devises. The teacher will Tell the students that it is ok to make observations and not know what the literary devise is called, they should still make note of it or underline it. After the majority of students have finished reading the teacher will ask the students these questions:
1. We discussed the mood of the people on the street. What is the mode of the little boy and his mother? How do you as the reader know?(inferential)
2. Why do you think the author includes the little boys name here? (inferential)
3. What significance do the plastic bags hold? They are used in the collage as well. (creative)
4. Why does the mother have the boy sleep in his clothes up against the wall? (inferential)
C. Guided Reading – Section 3
The students will silently read the 3rd page of their story. After some of the students have finished reading the teacher will walk around the room showing the actual pages of the book. The teacher will tell the students if they finish reading before everyone else they should again consider how the author uses literary devises. They should also think about the author’s purpose for writing the story. After the majority of students have finished reading the teacher will ask the students these questions:
1. How has the tone of this section changed? (inferential)
2. What must it have been like for the boy and the people to walk down the street away from their apartment? (creative)
3. Why doesn’t the boy use the word “mannequin”? (creative)
4. There are several of our vocabulary words here. Do they make sense in context of the story? Is it easy to see if they are better suited to a "who or what?" (inferential)
D. Guided Reading – Section 4
The students will silently read the rest of the story. After some of the students have finished reading the teacher will walk around the room showing the actual pages of the book. While the students are reading the teacher will also take this time to turn on the overhead projector and make certain that it is still aligned and focused. After the majority of students have finished reading the teacher will ask the students these questions:
1. What was the author’s purpose for writing this story? (inferential)
2. How did the trash relate to the story? (literal)
3. Did the illustrator’s collages help to emphasize the purpose of the story? (critical)
4. What did you think of the story? Did any thing about the story surprise you? (creative)
E. Closure:
The teacher will restate the author’s overall purpose. The teacher will ask the students what the meaning was of the story. Using the students’ words and giving them credit for their thinking, the teacher will restate the meaning of the story. The teacher will turn to different pages of the bound version of the book and will ask the students how items used in the collage relate to the meaning of the story. The teacher will ask the students if anyone wrote any notes or underlined any significant passages in relation to the overall meaning of the story. The teacher will allow the students to share their ideas.
F. Oral Reading
The actual oral reading will be incorporated as part of the skill follow up after the first two follow up activities.
III. After
A. Follow Up (1):
The teacher will instruct the students to get out their vocabulary handouts. They will look at their vocabulary predictions and will think about how each word was used in context of the story. The teacher will ask the students to fill in the right side of the handout with any definitions from the context of the story that may be different from their predictions. The students will be encouraged to look back at where the words were used in the story. The teacher will then call on students, who volunteer, to supply the definition in their own words. If any corrections should be made in interpretation of words it will be done at this time.
Staggering - overwhelming
Hooligans - a tough and aggressive or violent youth
Yowling - to utter a long loud mournful cry; wail
Drifts - to be carried along by currents of air or water
Hazy - obscured or made dim or cloudy
B. Follow Up (2):
The teacher will ask the students to get out plain notebook paper. The teacher will ask the students to do a quick write about the meaning of the story. The teacher will briefly explain how to do a quick write in case the children are unfamiliar with this activity. This will be a quick way for the students to summarize in their own words the meaning behind the story and to define their individual thoughts on the story.
C. Follow Up (3):
The Teacher will ask the students to turn back to the first page of the story. The teacher will explain how the writer uses literary devices to emphasize the intended meaning. The teacher will use the overhead projector to point out to the students, specific sections of text and explain how the literary devise is used.
o 1st person narrative – more personal perspective
o “Windows, cars, streetlights” – fast pace emphasized by taking out the “and.”
o “They toss out shoes like they’re throwing footballs.” and “Smoke drifts, light as fog.” – simile
Page 2
o “Mrs. Kim’s cat and my cat fight all the time” – symbolism
o “Daniel” – use of name makes story even more personal
o “Staggering” – descriptive verb – meaningful selection
Page 3
o Descriptive language – simple and appropriate for a child
o “pounding”, “rush”, “pounce”, squawking” – more descriptive verbs
o Shorter sentences make for a quicker pace
The teacher will divide the students into small groups. The teacher will assign each group a section of text. The students will work collaboratively to find examples in the text of literary devises. The teacher will walk around and help and encourage the students. The teacher will remind the students that it is more important to find how they are used and to ask for help if they are uncertain what to label a literary devise. The students will then have each group come to the overhead projector and share with the class what they found.
Oral Reading – Once separated into groups and assigned their selection of text the students will read chorally their selection before they start their discussion. When they come up to the projector the students will take turns reading the relevant section and what they have written about it.
C. Enrichment:
The teacher will have previously asked the students to save scraps of interesting, clean, trash. The teacher will also provide a selection of trash for class use. Working in their groups the students will make a collage. They will use permanent makers to write on the scraps of paper and trash their own story. The students will collaborate on the story idea. The teacher will remind them to be purposeful in their word selection, exhibiting good author techniques. The students will then combine and glue their items to make a decorative collage. Each group will have an opportunity to share their artwork with the class and to read their writing. The collages will be displayed.