From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] Schema/author study (LONG)
Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2001 20:06:48 -0600
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Can't wait to share what we've been doing for author schema!!
When I first read MOT, I just clung to the three types of connections and
thought that was all there was to teaching the activating of SCHEMA. In
fact, most of our building did the same. We got real good at teaching how
to make the three connections. On my second reading of MOT I was surprised
to find that SCHEMA actually has 4 parts. 1. text connections 2. author
schema 3. text type 4. developing schema when there is none. So back
to the drawing board we went.
In our building we have a reading support teacher who works IN OUR ROOMS
with THE TEACHERS to model and support our changing teaching. Our reading
support teacher was the one who did the initial author schema lesson in my
room last year and I carried it on further after collaborating with her on
where to take it. This year I pushed my students a bit more. Here's what
we did this week!
My teaching partner and I got about 5-6 copies of different books by 8
authors. Here are the authors we used: Jack Prelutsky (we didn't just
want fiction/picture books), Tomie de Paola, Jan Brett, Ezra Jack Keats,
Tana Hoban (nonfiction), Ann Schweninger, James Marshall, Alexandra Day. We
tried to just pull the books that had things in common, knowing full well
that a lot of these authors vary in their style and topic etc. We wanted
our kids to be able to spot similarities among the books.
I took Stan and Jan Berenstain as the authors I was going to use to MODEL
what I wanted them to do. I put up a piece of chart paper on the board. I
held up about 6 different Berenstain Bears books and told the kids I wanted
to become an "expert" on the authors of these books. I said I was
going to
study the books, not actually read them, and write what I found on the chart
paper. I told them that the authors were husband and wife and had the same
name as the titles of the books. That was something I didn't much find in
other books. So after heading the chart paper with the authors names, I
wrote that down. I started flipping the pages and talked about how the
characters were bears who wore clothes and did "people" things. I
noticed
they talked, drove cars, had pets, and went on adventures. Some of the
books were about regular family situations, others were mysteries, etc. I
noticed what the illustrations were created from- mostly colored drawings,
the colors used, etc. I noticed WHERE the text was placed on the page- was
it on the illustrations or in white space, at the top of the page or at the
bottom of the page, etc. I noticed the settings, talked about what ages
might like reading these books. Anything else that stuck out from all of
these books. (I admit I am NOT an avid Berenstain Bears book reader so I
mostly punted on this!) As I noticed things I wrote them down on the chart
paper.
I THEN talked to them about Author Schema. How if I become an "expert"
about
certain authors, by noticing these types of things (and eventually spending
some time reading some of the books as well) the next time I pick up a book
by the author I've studied, my "schema for that author will start popping
off in my head" and my background knowledge will be activated and I will
PROBABLY understand the book more.
I then asked them to tell me back the kinds of things they SAW and HEARD me
noticing about the books. I then wrote those on the chalkboard next to my
chart paper. Things like: the characters, the colors, the text placement,
settings, type of illustrations, what they might be about, anything else
that jumps out at them, etc. I told them I had 8 other authors books I
wanted them to become experts on. That they would be writing a chart paper
and presenting their chart paper and showing the books to the class.
I could have stopped there for the day but I was on a roll and they were
very excited.
I put them into groups of three and handed them a pile of books by one of
the authors. I told them to keep looking up at the board for my example and
to look for the things I was looking for with my authors. I didn't give
them the chart paper at this point. I let them spend about 20 minutes
exploring the books and discussing what they were finding and then I stopped
them for the day.
The next day was parent visitation day and I was hoping I would have some
parents attending class during our reading workshop time to assist in the
chart paper part but only three showed up. So I sent them off with their
books again and gave them a marker and a piece of chart paper. I told them
refresh their memories on what they talked about the day before and decide
what they wanted to write down to share with the class. I just walked
around listening and found ALL OF THEM engaged TOTALLY!!!! After about 20
minutes, I did notice that some of them were missing some crucial elements
and I prompted them and guided them to discover what I was hoping they would
find on their own.
Jan and I actually use this EXACT same activity with the teachers in our
graduate course. We end up typing up their findings so they walk away with
a base of knowledge about several authors to take back and do in their
classrooms. Doing it with third graders was a bit of a gamble because I
didn't know if they would spot the similarities as easily as adults would.
Some of the ways I prompted them were- for Jan Brett: "You noticed she
puts
borders around the pages, but look closely and see what you find going on in
her borders. That is an important part of her books. Be sure to tell us
what you find." For James Marshall: "Flip through one of his books
and see
what you find. Is this book only one story or more?" I wondered if I was
spoon feeding them too much but since the whole point is to learn the style
or intent of the authors I wanted to have some of the more obvious stuff
included. After all they are just 8 and 9 years old!!!!
The parents were very impressed. They participated with their children and
helped guide what was put on the chart papers.
We had time that day to share 2 groups work. I gave them all a ruler to use
for pointing on the chart paper and they hung up their chart paper like I
had and stood there and sounded just like the teachers who had done it in
our graduate course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had one of the group members hold up
the books with the pages open to show the class. That was something one
group of teachers started on their own in one class and it really added to
the sharing. So when they talked about the illustrations of Ezra Jack Keats
being very colorful and made in an unusual way, I had them show several of
the pages. It was so adorable!!!!!!
Today we shared the rest of the authors. My kids were amazing me!! I tried
to find the reading support teacher but she wasn't available. I know she
would have been blown away at their maturity. Monday I reserved the
commons/lunchroom and I plan on taping up each chart paper spread out away
from each other and I will put each pile of books in a basket under each
author's info for them to read. Kind of like a gallery walk with time to
get their hands on the author's books and actually read and solidify what
they learned about from their classmates presentations.
I am then going to take Ezra Jack Keats further. But I need to do that part
before I can tell you about it.
I know this is REALLY LONG but this is how I learn- from hearing what others
are doing.
Anyone else doing author schema?
I'd love to hear feedback.
Ginger
grade 3
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 15:37:29 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Schema/author study (LONG)
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Wow..I loved that activity and I plan to do it with my fifth graders,
but my question now is - how would you do this with chapter books such
as Gary Paulsen, Judy Blume, Lois Lowrey without pictures. Certainly you
could do it after reading several novels by one author and perhaps that
is the only way at intermediate level. Any other ideas? :) SHELLY
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Annette201@aol.com
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 18:24:09 EST
Subject: Re: [mosaic] schema/t-w connections
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
this showed up as a so-called weekeness in our standardized tests in this new
school I am at. I am not familiar with the text you mentioned but it sounds
good. I have problems with when I do text to self and makeing sure its
relevant to what we are reading. Do you guys think second grade can handle
t-t and t-w and t-s?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
=============================================
FrontLine Teaching
Published By ReadingLady.com
www.readinglady.com
readinglady@readinglady.com
==============================================
November 19, 2001
==============================================
Contents:
1) Calendar
2) Funny Stuff
3) Round Robin Reading
4) This & That
==============================================
Check-out these two urls for exciting saving and
new arrivals.
http://www.readinglady.com/Store/On_Sale/on_sale.html
http://readinglady.com/store/Newest_Arrivals/newest_arrivals.html
==============================================
We have created a calendar. Yes that is right folks,
an actual calendar, looks like a monthly calendareven,
it's got all the important dates for the readinglady
site as well as 4 Block dates for workshops and
conferences.
http://www.readinglady.com/calendar/calendar.html
We will be more than pleased to add other important
dates to our Calendars as you our site members
make us aware of them.
==============================================
BackPacks By Jenny
http://www.backpacksbyjenny.com/
==============================================
Funny Stuff - courtesy of Marcia/1st/GA
Last week my class of first graders were learning about
different parts and features of non-fiction books.
After we had covered most of these skills, I tried to put
closure on the lesson by setting purpose for the next
day's lesson. I informed them, "Class, tomorrow, you will
begin researching spiders with some of these books."
You should have seen some of the horrified looks on their
faces. I realized the breakdown in communication almost
instantly, and I made myself clearer to everyone.
"We will not be "searching" for spiders, but RESEARCHING
spiders by reading about them in a book."
That seemed to do the trick.
================================================
Check out our 4 blocks
http://readinglady.com/store/4blocks/4B_New_Arrivals/4b_new_arrivals.html
================================================
Guided Reading Alternatives to Round Robin Reading
In the introduction of Good-Bye Round Robin Reading
by Michael F. Opitz and Timothy V. Rasinski, we are
given a scenario that involves round robin reading
and the effect that it had on some teachers.
Mr. Opitz used the round robin approach to oral reading
and then instructed teachers to take out a piece of paper
for a comprehension test that he would be giving. Teacher’s
responses to this scenario were shared. The following include
some of their responses:
"I was trying to figure out the pattern so that I could prepare
the part that I thought you would have me read."
"The longer I had to wait, the more nervous I became."
"The only thing I could remember was the sense of relief
I felt when you called on someone else to read."
Mr. Opitz used this scenario along with responses to give
teachers some insight on how students feel when they are asked
to participate in round robin reading. After sharing these
thoughts, one person stated that they felt round robin reading
shouldn’t be used because of the way it makes children feel
and that it gives children the wrong idea about reading.
Someone else mentioned that we are seldom asked to read this
way in real life. We usually read silently, and when we do read
orally before a group, we usually get a chance to rehearse by silently
reading ahead of time.
If round robin reading is so detrimental to children, why does it
persist? Opitz and Rasinski state that they have found that tradition
played a big role in the reasons that new teachers gave for using
the round robin approach. They felt that they would be "rocking
the boat" if they strayed away from tradition. Other teachers felt
that round robin reading helps with classroom management while it is
just the opposite in many classrooms. Another reason given for using
round robin reading was that teachers feel they accomplish two purposes
in one setting:
1.) students read the story
and
2.) teachers simultaneously assess students’ reading.
The fourth reason that Opitz and Rasinski have found is that teachers
feel that it saves time. On the contrary, Armbruster and Wilkinson state
that silent reading is faster and provides individuals time to reread
without burdening other readers (Opitz and Rasinski,
1). The final reason that teachers gave for using the round robin
reading approach was that they didn’t know what else to do
(Opitz and Rasinski, 84-86).
There are several alternatives to round robin reading. Pat Cunningham,
Dorothy Hall, and James Cunningham mention several grouping options in
their book Guided Reading The Four Blocks Way. Some of the options
mentioned include shared reading, echo reading, (ERT) everyone read to,
partner reading, teacher groups, coaching groups, three ring circus,
book clubs, and novel teaming.
Other approaches suggested by Opitz and Rasinski in Good-bye Round
Robin include choral reading (reading aloud together in unison),
readers’ theater, recorded texts, and revised radio reading (students
perform pre-selected portions of a text that they have had the opportunity
to rehearse).
As you can see, there are a variety of approaches and strategies that can
be used in teaching reading. A balanced reading program incorporates all
reading approaches realizing students need to use multiple strategies to
become proficient readers. The exciting part is designing your program so
that it is tailored to fit the different needs of all of your students.
==================================================
This & That
Congratulations to all those that acheived "National Certification".
The marks were released this past friday and it is my understanding that
teachers were logging onto NBPTS home page at: www.nbpts.org and
ascertaining
if the pass or not.
-------
We have been receiving requests for an order form comprised of the books
we market from the readinglady.com site. Since this is a rather large task,
I am looking for feed back from you our users as if this is something that
is really needed or not. Please respond to readinglady@readinglady.com
with your feedback.
-------
Again just another small mention of our Calendar Section, you will find it
lists site activities as well as other important dates. If you have dates
you feel should be added, please contact readinglady@readinglady.com
http://www.readinglady.com/calendar/calendar.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: "Kelly O'Brien" <kobrien@mko.cc>
Subject: [mosaic] introducing text type
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2001 23:03:08 -0600
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
It's been a while since I checked in, so I thought I would share a lesson
that went well for me. I introduced nonfiction text type last week. My
third graders actually had quite a bit of schema for nonfiction and they are
very excited about reading it. To begin I shared two big books, How
Spiders Got Eight Legs (fiction) and A Look At Spiders (nonfiction). We
discussed "story talk" vs. "fact talk" and I kept repeating
"what's
different?" to get the discussion going.
Next, I passed out some Pair It books for tables to look through. These
books are pairs with one being fiction and the other nonfiction on the same
topic. These books do not actually have many features of nonfiction . The
students needed to rely on "story talk" or "fact talk".
More discussion
about "what's different?" went on in the groups.
Then, we began to chart the students' schema for nonfiction on chart paper
to leave up in the room.
Moving into pairs, the students were to try the same thing using Reading
Safari Magazine, which is part fiction and part nonfiction. It also
contains a few beginning type text features (headings, some labels,
photographs). The pairs were now deciding if the magazines were fiction or
nonfiction and they were asked to prove it by helping add features they were
finding to the class chart.
Finally, the children were given individual copies of nonfiction books from
our classroom library (mostly on animals) to investigate. Now these books
contained many features of nonfiction (Table of Contents, Index, Glossary,
Charts, Graphs, Pictures with Captions, etc..) We continued to build the
class chart with nonfiction features that the students were excitedly
finding. After much time to investigate and share, the students were asked
to use post it notes to label and post any nonfiction features that they
were finding in the books they were using. These notes were helpful to me as
an informal individual assessment to prepare for my guided reading groups
later. I also think that it went well because it was a low risk lesson,
moving from whole group, to tables, to pairs, before asking for anything
individually.
Kelly
Grade 3
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hi Ginger,
Thanks for your description of your author study (schema). You've given
me lots of new ideas for doing author studies. My third grade students did
an author study recently. What they did was come up with 4 to 5
similarities or patterns that they saw in each of the author's books. They
made a chart showing how often an element was evident in an author's book.
I modeled this first by reading several Kevin Henkes books. We looked for
similarities in his books and created a chart to show how often certain
elements showed up in each book. ( same characters, family, someone learns a
lesson, happy ending, parents help solve probem, repeated lines, colorful
illustrations, etc.)
Your ideas take this further! Thank you.
Laurie
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Sun, 18 Nov 2001 16:44:58 -0600
From: Kathy Hurd <hurd@foxvalley.net>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] schema/t-w connections
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
I've been modeling t-t, t-s, with all of our first graders. 2nd
graders, who are developing readers, seem to have an even easier time
making connections, because they have been alive for a whole year longer
than first graders.
Interestingly, they are making t-t and t-s connections on the DRA
(Developmental Reading Assessment) without any prompting other than the
assessment question: "What does this story remind you of?"
Kathy Hurd
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: Jean247727@cs.com
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 20:25:11 EST
Subject: Re: [mosaic] schema/t-w connections
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Second Graders can most definitetly handle the t-t, t-s, t-w,connections!!
After my first reading of MOT last year I immediately took the dive into T to
T, T to S, and T to W, with my second graders. At the time we were involved
in a mini unit on Amelia Bedelia Books. So, I took a shot and the kids
surprised me!! I started small with a comparison of an event in the book
with an event in their lives. Using drawing paper, folded in half, Each
student chose a passage that somehow was familiar to them in their lives.
They then illustrated the passage from the book on one half of the paper and
on the other half they illustrated it from their own life. We mounted our
finished products and put them on display in the hallway outside our door. We
labeled the display "Text to Self". Displaying them in the hall allowed
for a
gallery walk by my students and other classes that passed by the room.. Much
discussion followed. That was the beginning for us. >From then on, students
routinely made the connection between text to self. Author studies have
always been a big part of my reading curriculum. It doesn't take long for the
students to see the themes from one text reappearing in another by the same
author. As the year goes on, they begin to relate the text they are working
on to other texts that we have shared. Give it a try! You'll be pleasantly
surprised!!
Jean
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: "Ginger/Rob" <elephant@foxvalley.net>
Subject: [mosaic] book database
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 22:03:12 -0600
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Just a reminder to visit the book database to add titles you have used in
your classroom.
If you use any of the books listed online, we'd all LOVE to hear your
comments on how it went. Remember, there is the place to add comments or
just view comments from others. But we need to be adding to this as we go.
www.u46teachers.org/mosaic/strategies.htm
If anyone feels so moved, we could use help adding the titles from the back
of Strategies That Work. Those are great resources that we would like to
get online.
We're new and we need all of your great books and comments to keep us going!
Thanks!
Ginger
list moderator
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 22:32:47 -0600
From: Jane Moore <moorefam7@home.com>
Subject: Re: [mosaic] Merging leveling systems
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
We have leveled our district consistently. Recognizing that Reading
Recovery levels are in careful increments, we saw that GR/Pinnell and
Fountas' levels are not quite so incremental. Ours looks like this:
A=1 B=2 C= 3-4 D=5-6 E=7-8 F= 9-10 G= 11-12 H= 13-14 I=15-16 J=17
(suggested end of First Grade minimum) K= 18 L=19 M=20. Beyond that we
do not try to correlate to RR.
We rely on leveled lists from publishers, but cross check with Fountas
and Pinnell.
Hope this helps.
Susan Hurst wrote:
>
> Hi, Melanie,
> I am a Reading Recovery teacher. We have a book to help us level
> our texts for use in Reading Recovery. I think it might work better
> to use Fountas and Pinnell's leveled list of books to level your trade
> books for teachers. We have done this at our school. The levels
> correspond to Reading Recovery like this: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3 and 4,
> D = 5 and 6, E = 7 and 8, and so on.
>
> The book we used to do this is called: Matching Books to Readers
> by Fountas and Pinnell. Also,
> many book companies, such as Rigby, have their books leveled by the
> different systems. It really can be confusing! 'Hope this helps.
>
> Susan Hurst
>
> Melanie Perkins wrote:
>
> > Hi, everyone,
> >
> > Here's a question not directly related to Mosaic, but is something
I
> > need
> > right now. We have a huge collection of leveled books in our
> > library. Many
> > came from Wright Group and Rigby, but we also have many that are
> > Scholastic
> > Shoebox books. Does anyone have a translation table for the
> > Scholastic
> > levels into Reading Recovery levels? I am trying to make this
> > library
> > accessible, and this has become a huge stumbling block. Teachers
> > want to be
> > able to go in and grab a set of books at a particular reading level,
> > and I
> > can't seem to merge everything we have into one system.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Melanie
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 10:36:19 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: [mosaic] database
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
OK everybody, I just did it. I posted my first contribution to the
database. For a few years now I have been searching the internet for
lessons and wondering how people have the time or energy to contribute
ideas to the internet. It took a lot of courage and I am sure that my
idea will not win me any teaching awards, but I so appreciate things
that I have found and used that it was high time that I contributed.
Here is my question...I clicked on several titles so that I could see an
example. All the titles that I clicked on had no posted lessons yet.
Several neat ideas are coming across the list-serve. Couldn't they be
copied and pasted into the data-base. Just an idea? GINGER? BRIAN? Your
thoughts on this? For example, the great idea about teacher Author
schema from the other day Ginger.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: "bbooth" <bbooth@mrbooth.com>
Subject: RE: [mosaic] database
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 16:55:29 -0600
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Shelly,
Congratulations on posting your first book. That's great. The nice
thing about the database is its longevity. While the listserve messages
are archived, it can be tedious to weed through them for the good stuff.
The database will be there forever in a way that is easy to share.
As far as I know the technology is not available to send an email
message body directly to a database. Of course one of our members could
manually add them on the database if they want.
I also want the members of the listserve know that I am willing to
support other options for using the Internet to collaborate. If you
have an idea you would like to try, let me know and we'll see if we can
implement it.
Thank you for your participation,
bbooth
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: [mosaic] Merging leveling systems
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 14:00:30 -0600
From: "Lowe, Marilyn" <malowe@jackson.k12.ms.us>
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
For leveling, I have used Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books
in Guided Reading, K-3 by Fountas & Pinnell. This book explains various
levelling systems and has an equivalence chart on pg. 26. For example:
a classroom level J book for grade two is designed for mid-level
transitional readers and includes Reading Recovery levels 18,19, & 20.
It also includes an extensive booklist organized by title and by level,
including many books from Scholastic. For example: The Baby-Sitter's
Club Mystery #110 - Abby and the Bad Sport by Ann Martin is a Level O
book with 250+ words. There is also a good description of what a book
at each level should look like so that you can level other books on your
own.
I have also seen equivalence charts and descriptions in some of the
catalogs, though I couldn't tell you which ones right off the top of my
head. Try Wright Group, Rigby, or Sundance. The new Scholastic Guided
Reading Program has nice descriptions of each level, too. Seems like I
might have seen it somewhere on the web but nowhere as detailed as in
the book mentioned above. Hope that this helps.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 13:08:15 -0800
From: "Susan Mattoon" <smattoon@cheneysd.org>
Subject: [mosaic] Assessment
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Our district is very happy with teachers using the ideas from Mosaic and
Strategies That Work, but everyone is struggling with assessment! We
need to show growth...fine for those doing Running Records, but what
about those of you that have to put a grade? Are you doing rubrics?
Anyone developed one that works well? What about the report cards? We
are desperately in need of a new format. I'd love to see what others
are doing.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 19:30:47 -0600
Subject: [mosaic] Merging leveling systems
From: hurd_k/cn@dns.u46.k12.il.us
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
I have found that most publishers are very accomodating in giving out
this information.
In fact, this summer, when I taught the intervention program, I
received materials to teach that weren't leveled. I called the 800
number for Steck-Vaughn to get the leveling for their Pair-It Books, and
they were very helpful. They immediately faxed me the levels for the
books I had.
Kathy Hurd
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From: NCNYGA@aol.com
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 21:31:45 EST
Subject: [mosaic] scope and sequence of sorts for strategies
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Hi all,
I have been trying to implement some new teaching methods this year: 4
blocks, strategies ( although I did some the last 2 years), reading and
writing workshop, etc. I have introduced connections, and schema for
non-fiction and fiction so far this year. The unit I did with non-fiction
was highly successful with my first graders, and they have very little
problems understanding the connections with their own independent reading.
They are also proficient with predictions; in fact, they are probably too
proficent. I have a hard time reading a story without being stopped umpteen
times. :)
I would like to see their growth continue in the area of reading strategies,
but I don't really know how to proceed with all of these changes I am
making. I know it's easier for me to teach when i have long range plans.
Because the other teachers at my school usually teach the comprehension from
the language arts series, I don't really have anyone to bounce ideas off of.
I have both of the books-MOT and STW and while I haven't read them for
awhile, I refer to them fairly frequently and don't remember them giving a
scope and sequence. Do any of you have a year long plan of when and how you
will teach certain strategies?
Thanks in advance.
Marcia/1st/GA
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Tue, 20 Nov 2001 20:09:40 -0600
From: "DEBORAH HAYS" <DEBORAH.HAYS@bps101.net>
Subject: [mosaic] Links to other MOT websites
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
Links to other websites using MOT:
http://www.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/langarts/mosaic.htm#directions
http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/resources/languagearts/readingwriting/read=
infer.html
http://www.lesley.edu/academic_centers/hood/currents/v2n2/haushalter.html
http://www.wilearns.com/default.asp?WhichCategory=3D16
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 21:53:27 -0500
From: Andy and Shelly Kennedy <pristine@aclass.com>
Subject: [Fwd: Re: [mosaic] Assessment]
Reply-To: mosaic@u46teachers.org
The rest of my message is that I try to assess their written responses
with a score of 3,2, or 1. I can't find my little rubric at the moment
but it's something like this.
3 - Answers thoughtfully and logically supporting with evidence from the
text
2 - Answer may be partially accurate but lacks depth or completeness
1 - Inaccurate or illogical response
0 - No Attempt
I have tried to get away from having my students respond to low-level
questions. I do have my students write answers to some of the following
questions then I score them with a rubric that sounds something like
this
3 Answers the question logically and thoughtfully supported by evidence
from the story
2 An
THE PLOT
1. What happened in the story? What was the sequence of events?
2. What might have happened if a certain action had not taken place?
3. Were you able to predict the ending?
4. What other way might the story have ended?
5. Under a heading (such as People, Animals, Places, Things) list
important words.
6. Which chapter do you think is the most important? Why?
The Setting
1. What happened in the story? What was the sequence of events?
2. What was the place like?
3. Could there be a place like this? Do you know of a place like this?
4. When did the story take place? (past, present, future)
5. Which part of the story best describes the setting?
6. How does the writer create the atmosphere for the setting?
7. Are there any particular words that create this atmosphere?
The Mood
1.How did you feel while reading the book? Why did you feel that way?
2. What was the saddest/funniest incident?
3. What was the most exciting/unusual/mysterious incident?
4. How did the author make you feel the way you did?
5. What do you remember most about the story?
6. Does the mood of the story change? How?
The Style
1. How did the author describe the characters?
2. Were there any unusual ways of saying things?
3. Does the author give you enough information?
4. How does the author keep you interested?
5. What special words does the author use to help you hear, see, smell,
taste or feel things?
6. What pictures has the author's writng left in your mind?
7. What strengths does the author have? What do you like about his/her
style?
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