RAP:
Checklist for Completing the Template (revised)
√ / Check each step as it is completed.- Read the book/text closely.
- Complete the What Makes This Text Complex page.
- Write the Synopsis and clearly state the Big Ideas, Key Understandings, or Focusing Question in the template. Think about what students will know and do as a result of this read-aloud.
- Create the Culminating Task. What will students do to show you they understand the Big Idea?
- Brainstorm ideas for helping students overcome the challenges in reading this complex text by completing the Helping Students Navigate Text Complexity Worksheet.
6. Carefully re-read the book, and divide the book into four or more “chunks” for instruction.
7. Create a sequence of questions, activities, and tasks in the template. While working, identify and categorize vocabulary using the Vocabulary table in the template (Note: this can be done while creating text dependent questions, or while re-reading the text solely for vocabulary).
8. Verify CCSS and insert into the template.
9. Add Extension Activities and a Note to Teacher. (optional)
If you choose to continue working and add your Read Aloud to the RAP library:
Save the file with the following naming convention for RAP:
Title [space] grade level [space] book type [space] version number
Examples: Bats at the Beach 2 Lit v1 orBats 1 Info v1 orCharlotte’s Web 1 Chap Book v1
Point person email the file to Farren Liben:
Farren sends file to reviewer for feedback and will return it to the point person with comments and suggestions. As feedback is received and updates are made, rename the file with the updated version number (Ex: Bats at the Beach 2 Lit v2).
The revision loop continues until the reviewer deems the document final. Farren uploads final document to Edmodo (Ex: Bats at the Beach 2 Lit Final).
* Text Complexity: Qualitative Measures Rubric
INFORMATIONAL TEXTS
Text Title______Text Author______
Exceedingly Complex / Very Complex / Moderately Complex / Slightly ComplexPURPOSE / oPurpose: Subtle, implied, difficult to determine; intricate, theoretical elements / oPurpose: Implied, but fairly easy to infer; more theoretical than concrete / oPurpose: Implied, but easy to identify based upon context or source / oPurpose: Explicitly stated; clear, concrete with a narrow focus
TEXT STRUCTURE / oOrganization of Main Ideas: Connections between an extensive range of ideas or events are deep, intricate and often implicit or subtle; organization of the text is intricate or specialized for a particular discipline
oText Features: If used, are essential in understanding content
oUse of Graphics: If used, extensive, intricate, essential integrated graphics, tables, charts, etc., necessary to make meaning of text; also may provide information not otherwise conveyed in the text / oOrganization of Main Ideas: Connections between an expanded range ideas, processes or events are deeper and often implicit or subtle; organization may contain multiple pathways and may exhibit traits common to a specific discipline
oText Features: If used, greatly enhance the reader’s understanding of content
oUse of Graphics: If used, essential integrated graphics, tables, charts, etc.; may occasionally be essential to understanding the text / oOrganization of Main Ideas: Connections between some ideas or events are implicit or subtle; organization is evident and generally sequential
oText Features: If used, enhance the reader’s understanding of content
oUse of Graphics: If used, graphics mostly supplementary to understanding of the text, such as indexes, glossaries; graphs, pictures, tables, and charts directly support the text / oOrganization of Main Ideas: Connections between ideas, processes or events are explicit and clear; organization of text is clear or chronological or easy to predict
oText Features: If used, help the reader navigate and understand content but are not essential
oUse of Graphics: If used, simple graphics, unnecessary to understanding the text but directly support and assist in interpreting the written text
LANGUAGE FEATURES / oConventionality: Dense and complex; contains abstract, ironic, and/or figurative language
oVocabulary: Generally unfamiliar, archaic, subject-specific, or overly academic language; may be ambiguous or purposefully misleading
oSentence Structure: Mainly complex sentences often containing multiple concepts / oConventionality: Complex; contains some abstract, ironic, and/or figurative language
oVocabulary: Somewhat complex language that is sometimes unfamiliar, archaic, subject-specific, or overly academic
oSentence Structure: Many complex sentences with several subordinate phrases or clauses and transition words / oConventionality: Largely explicit and easy to understand with some occasions for more complex meaning
oVocabulary: Mostly contemporary, familiar, conversational; rarely unfamiliar or overly academic
oSentence Structure: Simple and compound sentences, with some more complex constructions / oConventionality: Explicit, literal, straightforward, easy to understand
oVocabulary: Contemporary, familiar, conversational language
oSentence Structure: Mainly simple sentences
KNOWLEDGE DEMANDS / oSubject Matter Knowledge: Extensive, perhaps specialized or even theoretical discipline-specific content knowledge; range of challenging abstract and theoretical concepts
oIntertextuality: Many references or allusions to other texts or outside ideas, theories, etc. / oSubject Matter Knowledge: Moderate levels of discipline-specific content knowledge; some theoretical knowledge may enhance understanding; range of recognizable ideas and challenging abstract concepts
oIntertextuality: Some references or allusions to other texts or outside ideas, theories, etc. / oSubject Matter Knowledge: Everyday practical knowledge and some discipline-specific content knowledge; both simple and more complicated, abstract ideas
oIntertextuality: A few references or allusions to other texts or outside ideas, theories, etc. / oSubject Matter Knowledge: Everyday, practical knowledge; simple, concrete ideas
oIntertextuality: No references or allusions to other texts, or outside ideas, theories, etc.
Text Complexity: Qualitative Measures Rubric
LITERARY TEXTS
Text Title______Text Author______
Exceedingly Complex / Very Complex / Moderately Complex / Slightly ComplexMEANING / oMeaning: Several levels and competing elements of meaning that are difficult to identify, separate, and interpret; theme is implicit or subtle, often ambiguous and revealed over the entirety of the text / oMeaning: Several levels of meaning that may be difficult to identify or separate; theme is implicit or subtle and may be revealed over the entirety of the text / oMeaning: More than one level of meaning with levels clearly distinguished from each other; theme is clear but may be conveyed with some subtlety / oMeaning: One level of meaning; theme is obvious and revealed early in the text.
TEXT STRUCTURE / oOrganization: Organization is intricate with regard to elements such as narrative viewpoint, time shifts, multiple characters, storylines and detail
oUse of Graphics: If used, minimal illustrations that support the text / oOrganization: Organization may include subplots, time shifts and more complex characters
oUse of Graphics: If used, a few illustrations that support the text / oOrganization: Organization may have two or more storylines and occasionally difficult to predict
oUse of Graphics: If used, a range of illustrations that support selected parts of the text / oOrganization: Organization of text is clear, chronological or easy to predict
oUse of Graphics: If used, extensive illustrations that directly support and assist in interpreting the written text
LANGUAGE FEATURES / oConventionality: Dense and complex; contains abstract, ironic, and/or figurative language
oVocabulary: Generally unfamiliar, archaic, subject-specific, or overly academic language; may be ambiguous or purposefully misleading
oSentence Structure: Mainly complex sentences often containing multiple concepts / oConventionality: Complex; contains some abstract, ironic, and/or figurative language
oVocabulary: Somewhat complex language that is sometimes unfamiliar, archaic, subject-specific, or overly academic
oSentence Structure: Many complex sentences with several subordinate phrases or clauses and transition words / oConventionality: Largely explicit and easy to understand with some occasions for more complex meaning
oVocabulary: Mostly contemporary, familiar, conversational; rarely unfamiliar or overly academic
oSentence Structure: Simple and compound sentences, with some more complex constructions / oConventionality: Explicit, literal, straightforward, easy to understand
oVocabulary: Contemporary, familiar, conversational language
oSentence Structure: Mainly simple sentences
KNOWLEDGE DEMANDS / oLife Experiences: Explores complex, sophisticated themes; experiences are distinctly different from the common reader
oIntertextuality and Cultural Knowledge: Many references or allusions to other texts or cultural elements / oLife Experiences: Explores themes of varying levels of complexity; experiences portrayed are uncommon to most readers
oIntertextuality and Cultural Knowledge: Some references or allusions to other texts or cultural elements / oLife Experiences: Explores a single theme; experiences portrayed are common to many readers
oIntertextuality and Cultural Knowledge: A few references or allusions to other texts or cultural elements / oLife Experiences: Explores a single theme; experiences portrayed are everyday and common to most readers
oIntertextuality and Cultural Knowledge: No references or allusions to other texts or cultural elements
Helping Students Navigate Text Complexity Worksheet (sample)
Title: Spider and the Fly
What will be challenging? / What questions might you ask to help students “get it”? / What activity might you do to help students “get it”? / NotesMeaning
Understanding the message of the story / Call attention to what the Spider is doing and how the Fly reacts.
•How does the Spider try to trick the Fly?
•What does the Fly do? / Have students track the Fly’s reaction to the things Spider does
so they will notice the change. Create a T chart:
/ Set of repeating questions
Structure
Knowing that two characters are talking / Help students track dialogue.
•Who is talking here?
•How do you know Spider is talking? / Puppets (hold up to show who’s talking)
First read in two voices / Make stick puppets after first reading
Knowledge
Making the connection to real spiders so they can see the “double meaning” in the words. / Call attention to places that have a deeper meaning if you connect them to real spiders
•What is a spider’s “table”?
•What does “set his table ready” mean? / Will need lots of background-
Read nonfiction book on spiders first / Gail Gibbon Spider Book
Language
Old fashioned language
Figurative language / Frequent vocabulary questions, have students immediately apply their understanding to the text.
•Ne’er is an old fashioned word. What word do you know that sounds like ne’er?
•Why do you think the bugs “ne’er come down again”? / Act out sections so students can paraphrase. Check for understanding. / Have students try to act out figurative language so students can see it isn’t meant literally. Help students infer intended meaning.
Helping Students Navigate Text Complexity Worksheet:
Title:
What will be challenging? / What questions might you ask to help students “get it”? / What activity might you do to help students “get it”? / NotesMeaning
Structure
Knowledge
Language
Use this “brainstorm” to inform your thinking when creating the sequential set of questions on the template.