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Literacy Methods-Reading Strategy Lesson

Jameson Goetz

Rationale
The learning objective of this lesson is that students will be able to analyze a text by studying the
authors goals and how the author achieves them in specific parts of the text. Leading up to this
lesson, students work has focused on learning to think deeply about a given text. Students are
working hard to move beyond merely summarizing a text to analyzing how characters change
throughout a story and how that can help us come up with inferences about a storys theme.
Students will demonstrate understanding of how to analyze a text by studying the authors goals
and how the author achieves them in specific parts of the text by using their goals & techniques
handout.

I will look for evidence of students being able to point to specific parts of their text, infer the
writers goal in that specific section of the text and then identify the narrative writing technique
used to achieve that goal. They are still working on really diving in deep with thinking about
their reading. Although students in this reading group should have a solid understanding of each
of the narrative writing techniques listed above, each student will have a handout that includes
each narrative technique and corresponding graphic that helps explain the narrative technique.

The narrative writers techniques included are:

Flashback & Flashforward 1st-Person Narrator


Multiple plot lines Readers know more than the
Inner thinking character
Dialogue Description
Revealing actions Metaphor
Multiple points of view Tone
Symbolism

The narrative writers goals included are:

Provide the context/background Build a mood


information Set up the problem
Introduce the characters Raise the stakes
Show the characters motivation Build suspense
Stir empathy Get the readers predicting
Create the setting Support the theme
Show the resolution
Connection

I will invite students into the learning experience by explaining:

One thing good readers do is use their time reading texts to learn how to become better writers.
The other day I was reading the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Muoz Ryan, and I kept noticing
the power of her writing craft moves. You see, Pam Muoz Ryan doesnt just give the readers
descriptions that are written in simple, plain language.

I have been thinking about how just as a woodworker might use many tools and techniques to
build a piece of furniture, such as a couch or chair, a skilled author like Pam Muoz Ryan also
uses a different set of tools and techniques for narrative writing to create a powerful piece of
writing. Pam Muoz Ryan used these techniques to successfully pull me, the reader, into her
expertly crafted narrative.

I will then introduce the lessons teaching point, which is:

Today I want to teach you that one way readers analyze a literary text is to study the authors
goals and how he or she achieves them in specific parts of the text.

Teaching

Today I want to teach you that when you study a text, it can be revealing to study the authors
goals and the techniques the authors uses to achieve them. One way to do this is by focusing in
on a part where the author seems to be trying to achieve something and asking how they achieve
that goal.

Readers, to study how an author writes, you need a literary vocabulary or language that you can
use to talk about the techniques the authors uses.

***I will then pass out the two-sided handouts to the students in the group.

***I will ask students to turn to the side named Narrative Writers use Techniques Such As

Readers, these are a few techniques that authors use when crafting narrative writing.

***I will read through each of the narrative writing techniques listed on the handout, making sure that they have a
solid understanding of the narrative writing techniques.

***I will then ask students to turn to the Writers Aim Toward Goals Such As... side of their worksheet.
Readers, these are a few goals that authors aim to accomplish when crafting narrative writing.

***I will then read through each of the narrative writing goals listed on the handout, making sure they have a solid
understanding of each of the narrative writing goals.

Heres the thing: writers have goals. And as I said earlier, today I want to teach you that when
you study a text, it can be revealing to study the authors goals and the techniques the authors
uses to achieve them. One way to do this is by focusing in on a part where the author seems to be
trying to achieve something and asking how.

For instance, who remembers the opening scene of our classs read aloud book, Home of the
Brave? Does anyone remember what was going on at the very beginning of the book?

***I will then open up Home of the Brave and re-read the first page of the book.

To me, on this first page, it seems like Katherine Applegate was most likely trying to show us
how scared and confused Kek was. Maybe she even wanted us to empathize with him, to
understand and share his feelings.

***I will then turn to the Writers Aim Toward Goals Such As side of their worksheet.

Right here on this side of the worksheet I notice that one of the goals writers aim toward is Stir
Empathy. Im pretty sure this is the goal Katherine Applegate is trying to achieve here. But to
achieve this goal, I need to remember that she used certain writing techniques

Right here when it says, Kek whispers, Where is all the world? This is a specific part of the
text that lets me know that Kek is scared or confused. He is in a completely new place in the
world and its so unfamiliar.

It says here (point to the writing techniques side of the worksheet) that one technique a writer
can use is 1st-person narrator. Katherine Applegate does that. She tells the story from Keks
point of view. And by doing that, I think that it helps us empathize with him even more because
we see the world the way he does.

Do you see how I did that? First, I identified some of the goals Katherine Applegate seemed to
be attempting to achieve. Then, I studied the text for techniques she used to achieve those goals.
In this section of the text Katherine Applegates goal is to stir empathy in us as readers (Show
students the Stir Empathy box the goals side of the worksheet). The technique that Katherine
Applegate uses is the 1st-person narrator technique (show the 1st-person Narrator box on the
techniques side of the worksheet).
Active Engagement

***I will ask students to study another part of Home of the Brave (our classs Read Aloud book). Students will
think about the goals and techniques the author has used.

***Students will have the goal-and-technique cards in hand.

Lets go back to a more recent chapter in Home of the Brave on page 113 and think about how
Katherine Applegate wrote it and then ask ourselves why she wrote it that way.

***I will then hand out to students a paper copy of a section of the Home of the Brave text:

On the day with the name of Saturday, Her money clatters into a box by the driver.
Hannah and I wait by the road
For the bus to come. But-
Its even bigger than the school bus, I shake my head.
With the sour breath and slow growl The school bus is free.
Of a starving animal.
This one you pay for, she says.
The door squeals open and Cmon, hurry up.
I follow Hannah up the stairs.
She pours quarters into my glove. The driver makes a face that says
Here, she says. Do like I do. stupid-new-to-this-country boy.

What do you think the Katherine Applegate is trying to tell the reader? Remember, you can
identify both the writing technique (found on this side of the printout) and the goal Katherine
Applegate is aiming to accomplish (point to the other side of the printout).

***I will then ask for volunteers to share out what they found during this active engagement portion of the
minilesson.

Link

You all did a great job just now. You examined the text closely and identified both the narrative
techniques that Katherine Applegate used and the goals she was trying to achieve using those
techniques.

Studying how a writer writes is an important part of being an interpretive reader. Not just
today, but whenever you are reading. Remember, writers use techniques to highlight what really
matters. When you want to deepen your interpretations of an authors writing, you can try
studying a section of text and think about the goals an author has and the techniques they use to
achieve those goals.

As you read, remember that studying an authors writing craft is a powerful way to develop new
ideas. You can refer to the worksheet handout I gave you during todays lesson to help you with
this deep interpretation of an authors writing craft. Off you go!

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