LitPairsDramaNP/NP

®

GUIDEDREADING

MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 3 1

LITERACY STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS PLAN

RL.3.2 MAIN FOCUS Key Ideas & Details Sessions 1, 2, 3 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral, and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.

RL.3.5 MAIN FOCUS Craft & Structure Sessions 2, 3 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.

RL.3.9 MAIN FOCUS Integration of Knowledge & Ideas Session 3 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters.

RL.3.4 Craft & Structure Sessions 1, 2, 3 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.

RL.3.7 Integration of Knowledge & Ideas Session 3 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story.

RL.3.10 Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity 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.

RF.3.3a Phonics & Word Recognition Session 2 Identify and know the meaning of the most common prefixes and derivational suffixes.

SL.3.1c Comprehension & Collaboration Sessions 1, 2 Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

W.3.8* Research to Present & Build Knowledge Sessions 2, 3 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. *standard adapted from another grade

W.3.10 Range of Writing Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

ISB

N 9

78-1

-628

89-4

48-6

A: Ape EscapeB: Bird Meets Squirrel

Session 1: Text A

PREVIEWING THE TEXT 5 minutes

Invite students to read the title and scan the drama and illustration. State the text type. Encourage them to think about what this drama might be about.

Before we give this drama a closer read, read the title and scan the text and the illustration to get an idea what it is about. Who has an idea?

The monkey and the gorilla want to escape from the zoo.

Although a drama is told through spoken dialogue, the main characters still face a problem that needs to be solved, just like in any other story. Let’s read this drama to see how Monkey and Gorilla solve their problem.

LEARNING FOCUS RL.3.2

Students read closely to recount stories to determine how the central message is conveyed through text details.

KEY IDEA

A cat helps a monkey and a gorilla appreciate what they have rather than spending time wishing for something they don’t have.

2 LITPAIRS

SL.3.1c DISCUSSION Collaborative

RL.3.2 COMPREHENSION

Central Message

VOCABULARY

RL.3.4 Have students distinguish literal from nonliteral language.

READING THE TEXT CLOSELY 5 minutes

Clarify the learning focus for students and ask them to read the first two lines of the drama. Check their application of the focus. Then have them read the rest of the text.

In a drama, the characters often learn something as they try to solve a problem. This lesson is the central message. Let’s read the first two lines of dialogue to describe the problem.

Monkey and Gorilla are tired of living in the boring zoo. They want to get out.

Let’s read the next few lines to describe how these two characters plan to solve this problem.

They plan to squeeze through a loose brick in the wall.

Now let’s read the remaining lines to find out how the problem is solved and what these two characters learn.

They meet a cat who warns them that the outside world is dangerous so the monkey and the gorilla decide to stay in the zoo.

DISCUSSING THE TEXT 10 minutes

Invite students to share how text details work together to convey a central message. Encourage them to listen closely to each other and link their comments to remarks of others. Remind them to apply this focus to future readings for deeper comprehension.

Who can tell how the characters solved their problem?

They meet a cat who warns them that the outside world is dangerous,so Monkey and Gorilla decide to stay in the zoo.

Why do Monkey and Gorilla want to leave the zoo?

They are tired of living in the boring zoo.

When Monkey says he’s tired of living in the boring zoo, does he mean that the zoo makes him sleepy?

No, the monkey doesn’t mean that he’s sleepy, he means that he doesn’t like it.

Who has an idea about the central message?

The central message is that that “not everything is as good as it seems.”

Let’s sum up what we know about how text details help to convey a central message—you should always try to do this as you read.

Monkey and Gorilla want something that they don’t know anything about. When the cat tells them what the outside world is really like, they don’t want it anymore. They learn that the outside world isn’t as good as it seems.

We might say, “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.”

TEACHER’SCHOICE COMPREHENSION: CENTRAL MESSAGE

E-RESOURCEE-RESOURCE Formative Assessment Have students use the blackline master on page 7 to determine the central message, lesson, or moral in the story. Review students’ answers as you evaluate their mastery of the learning focus.

ELL SUPPORT

RL.3.2 Discussing the Text Ask questions at students’ language proficiency levels and provide the following sentence frames for student responses: First, ___. Then, ___. Next, ___. The message/lesson/moral is ___. I know because ___.

MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 3 3

Session 2: Text B

KEY IDEA

A squirrel and bird meet. The squirrel says he wishes he were a bird, while the bird wishes to be a squirrel. But both animals quickly change their minds after they see what the other one eats.

PREVIEWING THE TEXT 5 minutes

Have students read the title and scan the text and illustration of the second drama. Ask them to consider what this drama might be about.

Today we’ll read another drama. Who would like to tell what this drama might be about?

A bird and a squirrel meet in a tree.

We’ll read closely to determine the central message.

READING THE TEXT CLOSELY 5 minutes

Clarify the combined learning focuses for this session. Have students read the Cast of Characters, stage directions, and first two lines of the drama. Check to see how well they are applying the focuses. Then have them finish reading the drama.

As we read to determine how the text details work together to convey the central message, we’re also going to pay attention to how the parts of the drama build on each other. Let’s look first at the cast of characters and the stage directions. (Point out both.) These two parts help us know who will be in the drama and where the drama will take place. Now, let’s read the first four lines of dialogue to describe the problem. Notice that each line is marked with the character’s name so the actors know when to speak.

The squirrel wants to be a bird, and the bird wants to be a squirrel.

Now, let’s read the next two lines to describe the characters’ reasons for wanting to be someone else.

The squirrel would like to be able to fly and sing, and the bird would like to be able to run, climb, and jump.

What happens in the next four lines?

Each one admits that these skills aren’t wonderful all the time.

Now, let’s read the last two lines to determine the central message.

The bird and the squirrel decide that it’s not so bad being who they are.

So, the dialogue reveals the problem, allows the characters to think about the problem, and then shows a solution. Each line builds on the next.

DISCUSSING THE TEXT 10 minutes

Invite students to retell the drama and share their thoughts about how the details and dialogue work together to convey the central message.

Let’s quickly review this drama. What is the central message?

It’s better to be yourself than to spend time wishing you were someone else.

LEARNING FOCUSES RL.3.2, RL.3.5

Students read closely to recount stories to determine how the central message is conveyed through text details. They refer to parts of a drama to describe how the drama builds toward a conclusion.

SL.3.1c DISCUSSION Collaborative

WORD RECOGNITION/STUDY

RF.3.3a Point out the word bushy. Have students identify the base word bush. Explain that the suffix -y means “characteristic of.” The suffix converts the noun bush into the adjective bushy.

VOCABULARY

RL.3.4 Have students distinguish literal from nonliteral language.

4 LITPAIRS

Who can add to this idea using story details?

The bird says that flying is exhausting, but she loves eating bugs, worms, and berries. The squirrel says that he doesn’t like being chased by dogs, but he prefers acorns to worms. They both learn that there are good and bad things about being themselves. If they switch lives, they would still have good and bad times.

Ask students to elaborate on how the dialogue builds toward a conclusion that conveys a central message. Help them understand the importance of examining structure when analyzing text.

Let’s talk about how the dialogue builds toward a conclusion and a central message. In a drama, we don’t hear from a narrator. All the information about the characters, setting, and plot is revealed through the dialogue, what the characters say, and the stage design—the set, the props, and the costumes. What comments do you have about how the dialogue works to tell this story?

This story isn’t about a series of actions. Nothing really happens—the bird and the squirrel sit on a branch and talk. This story is about the characters and what they think. The dialogue lets the characters find out that they share a problem. It also lets the characters talk through the problem and come to a solution.

How does the bird solve its problem?

The bird says, “I’ll stick with being a bird.”

When the bird says that she’ll “stick with being a bird,” does she mean that she’ll need some glue or tape, or does she mean something else?

No, the bird doesn’t need glue or tape, she means that she’ll stay a bird.

Confirm students’ good use of the focuses. Encourage them to keep the focuses in mind when reading dramas.

You did some good thinking about how the details and dialogue work together to convey the central message. Use these strategies when you read other dramas.

TEACHER’SCHOICE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE: COLLECT TEXT EVIDENCE

E-RESOURCEE-RESOURCE Summative Assessment Use the blackline master on page 8 to introduce the constructed response question: How do the parts of a drama work together to reveal a central message? Use the LitPairs dramas to help you answer the question. Have students use self-stick notes to mark places in the text that help them answer the question. Point out that the details they include can come from the illustrations, as well as the main text. Review students’ self-stick notes as you evaluate their mastery of the learning focus.

COMPREHENSION SHARE

Use a two-column chart to help you think about dialogue. In the left column, write important lines of dialogue. In the right column, write what you learn from each line. Discuss with a partner how the dialogue builds toward a conclusion and a central message.

CLOSE READING OPTION

E-RESOURCEE-RESOURCE SummativePrint the online blackline master for independent close reading. Ask students to read Text B and respond to the prompts (summarize author’s message identify critical vocabulary, respond to constructed response questions) before returning for a small-group discussion.

TEACHER’SCHOICE

W.3.8*, RL.3.2WRITING

Gather Information

MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 3 5

REFLECTING ON THE TEXT 5 minutes

Ask students to reflect on their reading work in the first two sessions. Invite them to review and reflect on the details, dialogue, and central messages or themes of each.

Let’s think back about the two dramas. Who will retell the first one for us? . . . And the second one?. . . . Although both relate stories about animals that aren’t happy with what they have, you found different details and messages.

In the first one, a cat teaches a monkey and gorilla that the outside world isn’t as good as it may seem. In the second one, a bird and a squirrel figure out that trading places wouldn’t make them happier.

What can you say about how the two authors use dialogue to build their stories and reveal their messages?

In both stories, the dialogue helps two characters figure out that they share a problem. However, in the first story, a third character uses dialogue to teach the others about what the outside world is really like. In the second story, the two characters use dialogue to figure out a solution on their own.

CROSS-TEXT ANALYSIS 5 minutes

Encourage students to draw from each drama to compare the two texts.

Beyond the way that the dialogue is similar and different, let’s think and talk more about how the two dramas are similar.

Both stories are about characters that aren’t happy with what they have. In both stories, the characters learn to be happy with what they have.

Then have students draw from each drama to contrast the two texts.

Now that we’ve compared them, I’d like to contrast them by talking a little about how they are different.

In the first story, a third character helps the monkey and the gorilla. In the second story, the two characters solve their problem together. The central messages are different, too. The monkey and gorilla learn that things aren’t always as good as they may seem. The bird and the squirrel learn to be happy being who they are.

Challenge students to relate what they learned about how details and dialogue work together to convey central messages.

In a drama, when the characters learn a lesson, the audience learns the same lesson. Then the audience can use this same message in their own lives. Let’s share what we noticed about how the details and dialogue worked together to convey the central messages.

In both stories, the animals have problems that people have. These problems seem silly coming from animals. But I think the story details and talking animals might make it easier for people to think about these lessons.

LEARNING FOCUSES RL.3.2, RL.3.5, RL.3.9

Students recount stories to determine how the central message is conveyed through text details. They refer to parts of a drama to describe how the drama builds toward a conclusion. Finally, students compare and contrast the themes of dramas.

VOCABULARY

RL.3.4 Have students distinguish literal from nonliteral language.

Session 3: Texts A and B

ELL SUPPORT

L.2.4 Vocabulary Support words from the dramas such loose, squeeze, and disgusted in context using the ELL vocabulary strategies in Getting Started.

6 LITPAIRS

INTEGRATING THE LEARNING 10 minutes

Guide students to integrate information from both dramas and concisely state the big ideas learned across both texts. Remember to use the illustrations and details to help you describe the characters, setting, or events.

Let’s think about these two dramas as a pair and draw conclusions from them. Who’d like to start?

Nobody’s life is perfect. Sometimes, life is boring. Sometimes, we wish we could do something that someone else can do.

Would anyone like to add a thought?

But whatever changes we make, we will still be bored or jealous sometimes. It’s best to learn to be happy with what we have instead of always wishing for something else.

These are some interesting thoughts, and we’re having a good discussion.

Have students reflect on the strategies they learned for noting how details and dialogue work together to convey central messages.

Let’s recap the strategies we used to deepen our understanding of both texts.

We discussed how the details and dialogue built toward solutions to the problems and central messages.

TEACHER’SCHOICE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE: WRITE TO SOURCE

E-RESOURCEE-RESOURCE Summative Assessment Have students use the blackline master on page 8 to respond to the question: How do the parts of a drama work together to reveal a central message? Use the LitPairs dramas to help you answer the question. Tell students that they can use their self-stick notes to help them write their answer.

W.3.8*, RL.3.2 WRITING

Respond to Question

RL.3.7 INTEGRATION

Images and Details

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MONDO BOOKSHOP GRADE 3 7

Name Date

Comprehension: Central Message

Think about the main message, lesson, or moral in the story. Use this graphic organizer to identify the message of the story and key details that support it.

Central Message, Lesson, or Moral

Key Detail Key Detail Key Detail

Score:

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8 LITPAIRS

Name Date

Constructed Response

How do the parts of a drama work together to reveal a central message? Use the LitPairs dramas to help you answer the question.

REMEMBER

• Readthequestioncarefully.

• Lookatseveraldramastofindtextevidence.

•Notethetextevidenceinyourwritingjournal.

• Draftanopeningthattellsaboutthepartsofadramaandthepurposeofeach.

•Givetwoorthreeexamplesfromdifferentdramas.

• Draftaclosingthatsumsuphowthepartsofadramaworktogethertoreveala central message.

• Revise,edit,andproofreadyourwork.

Score: