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Unit 1: Lesson 5Introduce Part 2, Investigate Characters & Story Elements

Unit 1

Character Clues in Action!

 

                

 

Common Core State Standards

Arts for Learning is aligned with the Common Core State Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language. This Overview describes the scope of the standards and this Quick Reference Guide provides each of the standards fully or partially met within this A4L Unit, followed by the charts that specifically identify the standards addressed in each lesson and step in the Unit. The standards are also coded and listed at the beginning of each lesson in the unit. Arts for Learning also provides a comprehensive student assessment program in each unit. This A4L Assessment Toolkit Quick Reference Chart indicates an overview of the locations of the tasks to be scored in the unit.
 
Each A4L unit is developed on a common framework and contains a 3-part sequence of instruction that educational research suggests will help students become more self-directed, independent learners. There is a gradual hand-off of responsibility--from teacher to students-- that is supported by assessment and teacher help as needed. Throughout A4L units the arts serve as motive and means to advance reading for meaning and writing thoughtfully.
 
 
 

Part 2

Exploring

Unit 1: Lesson 5

Introduce Part 2, Investigate Characters & Story Elements

UNIT 1: LESSON 5

Introduce Part 2, Investigate Characters & Story Elements for Toys Go Out

 

 

LITERACY OBJECTIVE

By the end of this lesson students will be able to identify characters, problem, setting, events, and resolution in a story. Students will be able to identify clues in the text that inform the reader about character traits and perspectives.
 
 

LITERARY "I CAN" STATEMENT

“I can identify characters, setting, problem, events, and resolution in a story. I can identify clues that tell me what characters are like and what they are thinking and feeling.”
 

 

LESSON OVERVIEW

 

Steps Pacing: 40-50 Minutes
Step 1: Introduce Part 2 
Step 2: Introduce Lesson 5
 5 Minutes
Step 3: Pre-reading Discussion of Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins
10 Minutes
 
Step 4: Read Aloud Chapter 1 of Toys Go Out, Act It Out! with Sitting Statues & Discuss Story Elements 20-30 Minutes
Step 5: Close Lesson 5 – Treasure Pile of Books
 
 5 Minutes

 

STANDARDS ALIGNMENT

 

Targeted CCSS update

Reading: Literature     
RL 3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
RL 3.3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
RL 3.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
RL 4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 4.3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
RL 4.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
RL 5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RL 5.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
 
Speaking & Listening        
SL 3.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL 3.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
SL 3.6: Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. (See grade 3 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
SL 4.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL 4.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
SL 4.6: Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group discussion); use formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 4 Language standards 1 here for specific expectations
SL 5.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
SL 5.1b: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
SL 5.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.

 

Secondary CCSS 

Reading: Literature     
RL 5.3: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
 
Writing & Language 
W 4.9a: Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
W 4.9b: Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in
W 5.9a: Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]”).
W 5.9b: Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]”).
 
Speaking & Listening
SL 3.1a: Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 4.1a: Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 4.1c: Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or follow up on information, and make comments that contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks of others.
SL 4.1d: Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.
SL 5.1a: Come to discussions prepared having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
SL 5.1c: Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
SL 5.1d: Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.

 

TEACHING RESOURCES

 

Classroom Charts

-Character Treasures Board 

 

A4L Student Notebook

-Story Map for Toys Go Out, Chapter 1

 

Text

-Toys Go Out, Chapter 1

 

Life & Learning Skills

Unit 1 includes the following Life & Learning Skills:

-Reflective thinking

-Creative problem-solving

-Critical and analytic thinking

-Collaboration Communication

 

  Differentiation Options 

Differentiation Options will appear throughout the unit to suggest ways to scaffold or challenge student learning. Use the number of helping hands to select the level of differentiation that best supports student learning.

 

    Highest level of scaffolding. Select this option if students are learning strategies for the first time, if the text is challenging for them, or if students require more guidance during activities. The Unit is written for the highest level of scaffolding. 

 

   Moderate scaffolding. Select this option if students require some support comprehending the text or navigating the activity. 

 

  Least amount of scaffolding/Extending the instruction. Select this option if students are ready to work more independently, move more quickly through the material, or are ready for additional challenge.

 

  Leveraging Moments

Key instructional steps where the arts are used to leverage literacy-learning (and vice versa) are marked with  . Smaller leveraging moments also occur throughout the lessons.

 

 

 

STEP 1: Introduce Part 2

 
 

Process: Introduce Part 2 and review the Unit Overview for Students (see below). There are many ways to use Toys Go Out. Make decisions about how to use the text and how to structure the reading for your students. Since the reading groups in Part 2 of the unit will also be the final performance groups in Part 3, keep in mind students’ strengths for both reading and acting. See below drop down menus - Differentiation Options: Reading Toys Go Out and Performing Toys Go Out.

 

Part 2 lessons are written with the highest level of scaffolding. Guide the whole class to read Chapter 1, track story elements, and begin the character study. Then, read aloud Chapter 3 and guide students to do a more independent close reading and create talking tableaux.

 

 

Unit Overview for Students

 

In this unit, students act like both reading detectives and real actors as they read stories closely for clues about characters. To begin, students read the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs and a fractured version, The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, and engage in a theater technique called statues as they learn how to identify story elements and find clues to characters. Students learn the dramatic technique of tableau and engage in vocal expression to help them both think about and show their understanding of a character’s traits and perspective. In the next part of the unit, students work more independently as they read selected chapters from Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins, engage in close reading, and create talking tableaux that reflect their understandings. Those talking tableaux are then expanded for a final performance for an invited audience.

 

Each A4L unit contains a common 3-part sequence of instruction that educational research suggests will help students become more self-directed, independent learners. There is a gradual hand-off of responsibility--from teacher to students-- that is supported by assessment and teacher help as needed. Throughout A4L units the arts serve as motive and means to advance reading for meaning and writing thoughtfully.

 

Teaching Tip: Section Dividers in A4L Texts

Each chapter in Toys Go Out is divided into 5-7 sections. The section dividers serve three purposes:

 

  1. To help students identify different events in the story.

  2. To help groups self-regulate their reading and discussion. Each student can silently read a section, and then the group can stop to discuss characters and what is happening before moving into the next section.

  3. To help students make decisions about moments to show in tableau for the final performance.

 

 Differentiation Options: ReadingToys Go Out

Toys Go Out follows three characters—StingRay, Lumphy, and Plastic—on various adventures and mishaps. Each chapter can stand alone as an independent story, but read together, the book gives readers an increasingly rich understanding of the characters’ personalities.

 

Chapter 1: Read aloud to class to kick-off Part 2 and Toys Go Out.

 

Chapters 2-6*: 

 Read aloud & guide close reading. Read 1 or more additional chapters aloud to the class as students follow along. Allow ELL to use native language and/or picture dictionaries as vocabulary and concept clarifiers. Have class then choose 1 chapter to read closely for character traits & perspective and create tableaux for performance. 

OR After read-aloud, put students into groups. Each group chooses 1 chapter to read closely and create tableaux for performance. 

 

 Assign chapters to groups. Assign 1 or more additional chapters to groups to read, providing scaffolding as needed. Each group reads closely, completes story maps, and creates tableaux for its assigned chapter. 

 

 Students read entire book. Students read all 6 chapters independently or with their reading group and complete story maps for each chapter. Extra story maps can be copied from Resources, pages 20-22. Then, assign groups a chapter (or have them select chapters) to create tableaux for performance. 

 

*Chapters 3, “The Terrifying Bigness of the Washing Machine,” & 4, “The Possible Shark,” are particularly good chapters for students to perform using Talking Tableaux. 

 

This unit is written for a close reading of Chapter 3. Select other options as appropriate for your students.

 

  Differentiation Options: PERFORMING Toys Go Out

Depending on the selected option for reading Toys Go Out, groups can create performances in multiple ways.

 Groups perform tableaux for 1 section of the same chapter. If the whole class reads the same chapter for close reading, each group is given a section from the chapter and creates 2–3 talking tableaux for its section. There are 5–6 sections for each chapter. 

 

 Groups perform tableaux for all sections of the same chapter. If the whole class reads the same chapter for close reading, each group can perform the entire chapter, creating 1–3 talking tableaux for each section. With this option, the class will perform multiple versions of the same chapter. 

 

 Groups perform tableaux for different chapters. If each group is reading a different chapter for the close reading, each group performs their entire chapter, creating Talking Tableaux for each section. Depending on time and students’ ability to work independently, decide how many tableaux to create for each section.

 

ELL Support Comprehensible Input 

Recommended vocabulary from Toys Go Out, Chapter 1, to pre-teach with Vocabulary Snapshots:

 

Fluffy -- Hungrier -- Barrette -- Curls -- Cramped

Sample Visual Icons

 

Click for Vocabulary Snapshot activities using these visual icons and more (A4L Student Notebooks, pages 28-29 for students and Resources, pages 16-17 for teachers). 

 

Suggested vocabulary to pre-teach using sounds, facial expression, and/or body movements: 

 

Plunk -- Fiercer -- Squeakier

Fidgety -- Whiny -- Snorts

 

Suggested Dialogue

 

Introduce Part 2

"You’re going to take the skills you’ve gained as readers and actors and use them to do a close reading of a new story and create a performance for an audience. Let’s visit the Unit Overview for Students, so we can see where we are in our process."

 

 
 

STEP 2: Introduce Lesson 5

 
 

Process: Give an overview of the lesson objectives. Read a new story, use theater to interact with the text, and identify character traits.

 

Introduce Lesson 5

"Today we are going to read a new story called Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins and use theater as we read to get a better idea of the characters’ personalities. We’ll work together as a class with the first chapter and then work more independently in groups for other chapter(s)."

 

"By the end of today’s lesson, you will be able to say, 'I can identify characters, setting, problem, events, and resolution in a story. I can identify clues that tell me what characters are like and what they are thinking and feeling.'”

 
 
 

STEP 3: Pre-Reading Discussion of Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins

 
 

Process: Look at the cover and subtitle. Engage the class in a discussion about their relationships with stuffed animals and toys. Review the table of contents. Feel free to make connections to other books and films about toys.

 

Suggested Dialogue

 

Pre-Reading Discussion

"Let’s look at the cover—what do you see?" (Students respond.)

 

"This book is probably about a girl and her stuffed animals. Let’s talk about the stuffed animals in our lives. Does anyone have a favorite stuffed animal or one that you had when you were little? Did any of you believe that your stuffed animals had feelings or came to life when you left?" (Students pair-share. 2–3 students share with the class.)

 

"I’ll read the subtitle, 'Being the adventures of a knowledgeable Stingray, a toughy little Buffalo, and someone called Plastic.' We already have some clues about these characters’ personalities."

 

"Let’s take a look at the table of contents." (Read chapter titles.)

 

"What kinds of adventures do you think these characters are going to have?"

 

 

 

STEP 4: Read Aloud Chapter 1 of Toys Go Out, Act it Out! Wth Sitting Statues & Discuss Story Elements

 
 

Process: Read aloud Chapter 1, “In the Backpack, Where It Is Very Dark.” Have students get out their Unit 1 Texts on page 9 to follow along. During the read-aloud, have students make Sitting Statues at points that reveal character traits. Target dialogue, actions, and descriptions for each character to help students make inferences about what these characters are like. This will support students as they work more independently with subsequent chapters. Feel free to mark your text before the read-aloud for sitting statue stopping points.

 

Stop after each section, prompting students to pair-share what is happening in the story and what they are learning about the characters. Then, engage in whole class discussion. As the chapter and discussion unfolds, record the story elements—characters, setting, problem, events, and resolution on a Class Story Map.

 

Focus on the problem as a way to understand each character’s traits and perspective. Sting Ray, Lumphy, and Plastic share the same problem— they don’t know where they are going. Each, however, has a different perspective, or different thoughts and feelings, about their problem. Feel free to have students take notes on their own story maps for this chapter in their A4L Student Notebooks, pages 11-13. The ultimate goal of reading Chapter 1 is for the class to gain an understanding of each character’s traits and record them so they can be carried forward into subsequent reading. Post the Story Map in the classroom for students to reference as they read other chapters.

 
 
 

STEP 5: Close Lesson 5—Treasure Pile of Books

 
 

Process: Send students to the Treasure Pile to practice reading like detectives and looking for clues about characters. Have students select books to take home.

 

Close the lesson by having students make statues of their favorite characters, a look forward describing the next lesson, and an optional closing ritual.

 

Suggested Dialogue

 

Exploring the Treasure Pile of books

"To close, you’ll have time to go to the Treasure Pile and select something to take home and read. Practice reading like detectives, looking for clues about the characters. We can use our detective knowledge to find clues to character traits and perspective in dialogue, action, and description. And let’s help each other. When you find a character you think someone else would love, write a card about it and post it on our Character Treasures Board."

 

"Let’s close our lesson with a statue of your favorite character. Include the traits we have on our list. 1–2–3–Freeze!" (Students make statues.)

 

Looking Forward

"In our next lesson, you’ll work more independently in groups with a new chapter from Toys Go Out—this will be the chapter you perform."

 

Perform the Closing Ritual (Optional)

"Let’s appreciate our work and each other with a unified clap. 1–2–3 (clap) Huh!"

 

 

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS ON COMPLETING LESSON 5! YOU ARE NOW READY TO MOVE ONTO LESSON 6 OF UNIT 1.

 

 

 

 

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