D. Synthesize and evaluate explicit and implicit information in a variety of reading selections (SAT 10)

1. identify author's purpose, viewpoint, and intended audience
2. evaluate/make judgment
3. interpret figurative language
4. determine likely source of text
5. make inferences
6. identify character's actions, motives, emotions, traits, and feelings (SAT 10)
7. identify literary elements and devices, examples: characters, setting, plot (problem/solution), point of view, similes and other figurative language (AL C0S)
8. connect meaning to prior knowledge and experience (AL COS)
   

Koala Lou
A lesson plan designed around the story Koala Lou. This lesson was created by teachers in Australia and provides in-depth activities to go with the story.

Character Concentration
In this lesson students will learn about character traits. They will visualize what characters from previous stories looked like and be able to draw them. 

Design a Book Jacket
In this lesson students will read and discuss features found on book jackets and then create their own.

ARTSEDGE: What a Character!
In this lesson, students analyze how a character's personality traits, actions, and motives influence the plot of a story.

Minilesson for Inferencing
Step by step plan for teaching inferencing skills in reading.

Character Cluster
Students will discuss character traits of well-known story character and create a character cluster of themselves using traits discussed in class. 
 

Story Land Mural:  Discuss settings and characters from favorite books in order to design this mural.

Plot Structure Graphic Organizer

Circle Plot Diagram:  This is a really neat interactive program by Read Write Think.org.  Create a plot diagram and print it out! Be sure to view the demo first.

Story Wheel:  Story Wheel is a reading activity designed to help students practice sequencing skills, summarizing a novel, visualizing story elements, and recognizing story structure.

Chapter Books: With a single copy of a novel you can provide your students with some great learning experiences.

William Steig Matching Game:  Match William Steig characters to what happened to them in the book.

Teaching Tips:Graphic Organizers:  A list of sites that have printable and interactive graphic organizers to be used in the classroom. Includes KWL charts, webs, clusters, timelines, outlines, fish diagrams, story maps, comparing charts, cause and effect charts, and more.  

A Shark Named Rover:  A sequencing activity

eduplace.com:Fact and Opinion Graphic Organizer:  This site offers a printable graphic organizer to use with fact and opinion.

Children's Literature Web Guide:  Use this website to find your favorite authors and make your classroom reading come alive.

Suggestions for English Language Learners (ELLs):
(E/B=Entering/Beginning, D=Developing, E=Expanding)

E/B: Identify title pages, chapter headings, and illustrations with gestures (i.e. pointing) or simple spoken words or phrases.
E/B: Identify characters and setting nonverbally (i.e.gestures, pictures, charts, graphic organizers) or with simple spoken words or phrases.
E/B: Follow one-step written instructions with some assistance and one-to-two-step oral instructions.

E/B: Create a pictorial main idea diagram as you verbalize the parts. Draw the diagram both ways, with the details "adding up" to the main idea and vice versa. Have students point to the main idea in both diagrams; D, E: Have small groups review a topic they've learned in class (i.e. Community workers). Model creating a main idea diagram for one of the workers. Then have students make a main idea diagram about another worker. Invite groups to share their diagrams with the class.
E/B: Identify title pages, chapter headings, and illustrations with gestures (i.e. pointing) or simple spoken words, phrases or sentences; D: Use features of text, including table of contents, chapter headings, and index, to locate most information in text; E: Use features of text, including table of contents, chapter headings, glossary, and index, to locate information in text.
E/B: Identify the main events and some details in an informational text and express with simple spoken or written sentences; D: Identify the main events and some details in an informational text and express with simple spoken and written sentences; E: Identify the main idea and most of its supporting details in an informational text.
E/B: Use prior knowledge of given topic to enhance understanding of reading material that is illustratively supported and express with simple spoken or written sentences; D: Use prior knowledge of given topic to enhance understanding of reading material and express with simple spoken and written sentences.
E/B: Identify setting and main characters from simple, illustratively supported literature and express with simple spoken or written sentences; D: Identify setting, main characters, main events, and conflicts and express with simple spoken and written sentences; E: Understand significant information in text that includes setting, characters, main events, and conflicts.
E/B: Follow one-to-two-step oral or written instructions; D: Follow two-to-three-step written instructions; E: Follow most multi-step oral and written instructions with minimal assistance.
E: Make and confirm predictions about content presented in a text.
 

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