Focus Question: How does a reader use text evidence to support thinking about a text?
Choose three students ahead of time and give them the following props:
Student 1: a chapter book, a pencil and notebook paper, a globe
Student 2: markers and plain white paper, scissors, sunglasses
Student 3: a phone, a textbook, a calendar
Say, “When a detective is trying to solve a mystery, s/he looks for evidence.” Write the word evidence on the board/interactive whiteboard and have students turn to a partner to discuss what the word means. Have several students share their answers. Guide students to understand that evidence is something that helps support your thinking.
Say, “I am going to describe one of the people at the front of the room. I will read several clues. I want you to use the evidence s/he is holding to help you decide which person I am describing. Raise your hand when you think you know. Make sure you can support your answer with evidence.”
Read the following clues and pause for student responses after each one:
- “This person loves to read.” (Student 1 and Student 3 both have a book.)
- “This person likes to travel.” (Student 1 has a globe. Student 2 has sunglasses for a vacation. Student 3 has a calendar to plan a trip.)
- “This person likes to keep in touch with others.” (Student 1 has paper and pencil to write a letter. Student 3 has a phone.)
- “This person likes to draw pictures.” (Student 1 could draw pictures on notebook paper. Student 2 has markers and paper for drawing.)
Say, “If you use all the clues and evidence, which person am I describing?” Allow students to guess and support their ideas with evidence. (All clues describe Student 1, supported by the evidence s/he is holding.)
Say, “You used evidence to support your thinking about the person I was describing. When you read, you use evidence to support your thinking about a text.”
Part 1
You may choose to make an anchor chart ahead of time or construct it with the class. Begin the chart with the word evidence and its meaning as discussed in the opening activity. Then add sentence starters, such as those below, which students can use to support their thinking about a text. Save the anchor chart for use in Lesson 2.
I know because . . .
the text said_______________________.
the author wrote ____________________.
the graphic showed___________________.
on page __, it said____________________.
(See Related Resources at the end of the lesson for additional strategies.)
Say, “You can use these sentence starters to discuss the evidence you find in the text to support your thinking.”
Hold up the book Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck and read aloud the title. On an overhead projector or a document camera, display the Text Evidence Graphic Organizer (L-2-4-1_Text Evidence Graphic Organizer.docx).
Say, “Listen as I read this story to you. As we read, we will fill in this graphic organizer with evidence to support our thinking.” Read the book aloud. Stop at various points in the story to ask questions and model how to support thinking with evidence from the text.
Remind students that readers use the questions who, what, where, when, why and how to understand key details in a text. Sample questions and responses:
Ask, “Who is the main character in the story?” (Princess Furball) Refer to the anchor chart of sentence starters and think aloud, “I know Princess Furball is the main character because the author wrote the story about her.”
Refer to the graphic organizer. Ask, “What kind of person is Princess Furball?” (beautiful, lonely, unhappy) Refer to the anchor chart of sentence starters and think aloud, “I know what kind of person Princess Furball is because on page 1 it says she was “a beautiful young princess. She was frequently lonely and unhappy.”
Demonstrate how to record these answers on the left side of the display copy of the Text Evidence Graphic Organizer.
Ask, “Why does the old nurse teach the girl manners as well as reading and writing?” (because the girl is a princess) Think aloud and say, “On page 1 it says the nurse never forgot that the girl was a princess.” On the right side of the graphic organizer, write the event: The nurse teaches the girl manners, reading, and writing.
Ask, “Why is this event important to the story?” (because the princess grew up to be strong and capable and clever) Refer to the anchor chart of sentence starters and think aloud, “I know the girl’s teaching was important because the text says she grew up to be strong and capable and clever.” Record the evidence on the graphic organizer.
Continue reading the story and gradually release responsibility to students to answer questions and support their thinking with evidence from the text. Remind them to use the text evidence sentence starters.
Part 2
Gather a variety of literary texts at students’ independent reading levels from the classroom or school library. Say, “We used evidence to support our thinking about the characters and events in Princess Furball. Now it is your turn to use text evidence to support your thinking about another story.”
Have students work in pairs. Assign each pair a book that can be read in about 20 minutes. Distribute copies of the Text Evidence Graphic Organizer (L-2-4-1_Text Evidence Graphic Organizer.docx). Have students complete the graphic organizer with their partners. Walk around the room as students are working and provide help as needed.
After students have completed the assignment, bring the group together and have student pairs share their answers. Encourage them to use the text evidence sentence starters as they share their information. (For example: The main character is greedy. I know this because _____________.)
As an exit ticket, have each student write an answer to the following question about the book s/he read: How does a reader use text evidence to support thinking about a text?
Collect the exit tickets to use for formative assessment.
Extension:
- Have students who are ready to go beyond the standards read the poem “Half” by Robert Pottle (http://www.robertpottle.com/poems/poems/9half.htm). Have students write a description of the speaker and use text evidence to support their thinking.
- Have students who need additional opportunities for learning solve riddles and explain how they used evidence in the riddle to support their answer.
