Introductory Week

Introductory Week; Plan 2 of 3

Summary Plan
Objectives:
Cognitive:
1) Students will understand that reading is a meaning-making
process.
2) Students will know how to interact with a text when they are
struggling.
3) Students will know what a growth mindset is and why it is
important.
Affective:
4) Students will value the mental processes employed by readers.
5) Students will value hard work and effort as paths to success.
6) Students will feel like a valued part of our classroom community.
Procedural:
7) Students will be able to construct meaning while reading a poem.
8) Students will be able to reflect metacognitively on their reading
processes.
SOL:
6.5) The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a
variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction, and poetry.
e) Use prior and background knowledge as context for new
learning.
f) Use information in the text to draw conclusions and make
inferences.
CCS:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Methods of Assessment:
Diagnostic: Students will participate in silent reading and quietly
write in their journal to answer the following questions: What is this
poem about? How do you know?
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
and 8.
Formative: Students will participate in a class reading of the poem
and afterwards quietly write in their journal to answer the following

questions: How did you learn what this poem was about? How did
your classmates say that they came to understand the poem? What
methods did your teacher suggest? Why do you think these might be
helpful?
This will assess students progress towards Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7,
and 8.
Students will decorate their journals and share materials with the
class.
Students will use their classmates names while speaking to them.
Students will demonstrate respect as they defined it in class during
Lesson One.
This will assess students progress towards Objective 6.
Beginning Room Arrangement:
Students desks will be arranged in table groups of four.
Procedures and Instructional Strategies:
Bell-Ringer: Sustained Silent Reading (15 minutes)
As students walk into the classroom, I crowd the door and remind
them to take a seat and pull out their library book or a book theyre
reading on their own time. As students do their reading, I might pop
around the room and ask them what theyre reading and if theyd
recommend it. Ill explain that Im still building by Student Library
and really want to read and have books that students like available in
the classroom.
Bridge: A Silent Reading Activity (15 minutes)
Since students are already familiar with the concept of silent reading,
I will pass out The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost and ask them to
read it quietly to themselves. When they have finished, I will ask
them to retrieve their Student Journals from their backpacks and
respond to a question that will be posted on the board: What is this
poem about? How do you know what it means?
Step One: A Group Reading Activity (15 minutes)
After students have read the prompt and responded to it, I will ask
them to discuss their responses in table groups for five minutes. After
this, we will read the poem together as a class. I will conduct a thinkaloud, modeling my process of reading. Ill make sure to make
connections to the text and point out metaphors, similes, and other

literary devices that are open to interpretation. About halfway

through, Ill invite students to share what theyve noticed after every
line or two. When were done reading together, well co-construct an
argument about what we think the poem is about.
Step Two: Journaling (10 minutes)
After students have co-constructed the meaning of this poem, they
will answer the following questions: How did you learn what this
poem was about? How did your classmates say that they came to
understand the poem? What methods did your teacher suggest? Why
do you think these might be helpful?
I will emphasize while students begin to write that if their
understanding of the poem is still different from the knowledge that
we co-constructed, that is okay for now as long as they explain their
process.
Step Three: Moment of Clarification (5 minutes)
At this time, Ill point out that reading and writing go together, as we
saw during our reading and journaling experiences. However, the
process is usually a little different. When authors write, they are
creating meaning and leaving it on paper. When readers read, they
are trying to pick up the authors meaning, which sometimes takes a
bit of work. Nothing makes sense on its own: as readers, we make
everything we read make sense. Usually, were able to do all of this
quietly in our heads, like we do during SSR. However, when we read
more complicated texts, and especially those which are open to
interpretation, we might need to rely on some more visual or verbal
methods to make sure that were making everything make sense as
we go.
Step Four (Closure): Talking about Growth Mindset (10
minutes)
After we discuss how readers make words make sense while they
read, Ill talk about other stumbling blocks students may encounter in
the classroom. Ill bring up that like reading, many of the things that
we do in class simply arent going to make sense the first time, or else
there will be some other kind of struggle to get things done. One
student may have trouble turning in your assignments on time
because you tend to leave them at home. That doesnt mean thats
how its always going to be. We can work on that. We can make sure

that youre writing down your assignments every day, and work with
your parents to pack up your backpack the night before school so
youre all ready to go by the morning. Or if youve noticed youre
rocking the reading homework, but having a lot of trouble with
writing in class. Were going to work on that, too. Were going to look
at specific areas of improvement and learn revision strategies, so that
even if your first draft isnt something youre proud of, your second
draft can show great improvement. Nobody can get everything
perfect on the first try but were all here to make mistakes together,
and to learn and grow from those. And Im here to help with that, so
please do come talk to me if you ever feel like youre struggling.
Bonus Step: Journal Decorating (20 minutes)
Because I want students to be emotionally invested in their journals,
Im going to give them twenty minutes in class to work on them. They
can decorate their covers using any material that I bring in (which
should all be located in the box by the bookshelf), but are also
welcome to share their materials with their classmates.
Differentiation to Meet Student Needs:
This assignment uses a great deal of journaling before discussing,
which gives students like Anji and Brian, who are usually less
enthusiastic speakers in class.
Materials Needed:
copies of The Road Not Taken
student journals
journal supplies