S2: It’s about Steven pranking.
S1: I think it about getting even. I will give you an example from the text, in the back; it shows…and…they try to get even.
S2: Can you show me the text where that is?
S1: In the text?
S2: Yes.
S1: Okay (looks in the book and cannot locate any textual evidence) I guess I’m wrong. It just sys Steven was tricking, joking and pranking her.
T: So, you’re agreeing that Jenny is trying to get Steven to stop playing tricks on her and in some way does that by trying to get even with him?
S1: Yeah,. She’s tired of all his stuff. He does stuff behind the teacher’s back and she’s trying to get Steven back, but she can’t.
T: Let’s frame what we know about this story so we can write it down. Let’s start with the title and author:
S2: Getting Even with Steven, by Susan Blackaby.
T : How would you add to that opening (repeated above) and “is about?”
S1: A girl tries to stop him (Steven) from playing trick on her.
T: What was the girl’s name in the text?
S2: Jenna. It’s on the back cover
T: So, the story is about Jenna trying to get back at Steven for playing tricks. Great work in finding the only place her name is written on the back cover. That’s the first of three sentences. How did Jenna try to get back at Steven?
S1: She tries to get back by gluing a coin on her book and that tricked him, but it doesn’t really work.
S2: She tries to get him back, but he’s like a robot, so he is programmed to trick everyone.
T: That would be sentence #2: She tries to get him back with the glued coin on her notebook, which does trick him, so what will we put for the conclusion about knowing if it worked or not for the long term?
S2: She tried to get him back, but she’s worried he’ll get her back someday.
T: Nice work and discussion. Now, let’s make sure we have everything written down and we’ll have a written product showing our thinking.
(The written samples of S1 and S2 (plus S3-S5) are below, written during and following the discussion)
Getting Even With Steven by Susan Blackaby
S1: getting even with Steven is (about) Jenna trying to get Steven back and make him stop (playing tricks on her). The reason was that it didn’t work cuz she’s going to get revenged.
S2: Getting Even with Steve by Susan Blackaby is about Jenna trying to stop a boy named Steven from playing pranks on her by playing a trick on him. She gets him good with the coin trick. Although (however) Steven does not concede and stills does tricking on her.
S3: In the story getting even with Steven, by Susan Blackaby is about a girl named jenna trying to stop a boy named Steven to stop playing tricks on her. Jenna tries to stop it by playing a prank on him. But, it doesn’t work for long.
S4: GEWS by SB is about Jenna trying to get Steven stop playing tricks on her. To get even with Steven she glued a coin on a notebook and Steven tried to pick it up. It didn’t work because Steven is going to get Jenna back.
S5: GEWS is about Jenna is trying to get even Steven, but it doesn’t solve any problems.