Students need to be able to: Comprehend and evaluate complex texts across a range of types and disciplines. Communicate effectively for varied purposes and audiences. Listen actively to engage in a range of conversations, to analyze and synthesize idea and positions, and to evaluate accuracy in order to learn, reflect, and respond.

retelling

main ideas

details

character(s)

setting

order
(sequence)

beginning, middle, end

summary

picture cues

illustrations

prior knowledge or schema

fluency

volume

compare

contrast

Students will:

• Compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in stories written by the same author through oral language, graphic and/or written representations
• Use new vocabulary in oral language.
• Identify and describe important story components (character, setting, plot, etc.)
• Construct meaning and interpret text.
• Improve their understanding through both large and small group collaborative conversations. 
• Demonstrate engagement in the learning activity appropriately by facing the speaker, making eye contact and responding appropriately
<<

1-2 instructional periods, 30-45 minutes each (integrating reading and writing)

Compare and Contrast Box and T-chart graphic organizer

Chart paper

markers

Julius the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes

(or two similar texts by another author)

BME completed graphic organizers from lessons 1 and 2

GraphicOrganizersCompareandContrast.zip

Smart Partner anchor chart (from Lesson 2 in this unit)

Good Listener anchor chart (from Lesson 1 in this unit)

W: Begin with the focus question: how can we compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of a character in
different stories to improve our understanding?

This week, we learned that good readers retell a
story to show that they understand what they read. Good readers can also compare two stories by telling how the character's adventures or experiences are the same. Or, they can contrast a character's adventures or experiences to tell how they are different.  Both of these activities help a reader show that they understand the text.  

 

H: Engage students in the lesson with the interactive anchor chart, Smart Partner chart and chant, turn and talk strategy. Use the compare/contrast graphic organizer to support engagement.   

 

E: The texts used for this lesson will be shared during the previous two lessons. Both texts are written by the same author.  All
students will engage in the Smart Partners strategy to support their understanding and application of the compare/contrast skills.  All students will complete a graphic organizer to demonstrate the ability to compare and contrast.

 

R:  Support students as they work in partner groups and practice the Smart Partner, turn and talk strategy.  Also support students as they work to represent in pictorial and/or written format the character's experiences or adventures to compare and contrast the two stories.  Finally, students will share out their work in small groups based on their comparison choices and will revise as necessary based on that feedback.

 

E: Students will work with Smart Partners as they build their compare and contrast skills.  Students will also be supported in small groups as a culminating activity to share their work and revise as necessary.

 

T:   Have students choose the information from the text they want to connect.   Encourage students to express themselves in a manner of their choice. (verbal, pictorial, and/or written format) If students have difficulty, ask the child to focus on only one of the two areas (compare or contrast) of the graphic organizer. 

 

O:  The learning activities in this lesson provide for large-group and small group instruction and discussion, partner interaction, and individual application of the concepts.

Focus question:  How can we compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of a character in different stories to improve our understanding?

This week, we learned that good readers retell a story to show that they understand what they read.  We read two stories by the same author, Kevin Henkes.  Show the two books, Chester's Way and Julius, the Baby of the World.  We met an interesting character in these books named Lilly. 

I want you to practice our Smart Partner strategy to help us with today's lesson.  Let's all get up and chant the letters to remember what we learned.  Chant SMART as in Lesson 2 of this unit. 

 

Turn and talk to your partner about one of the events from Chester's Way.  Allow ample time for partner sharing and then signal for students to regroup back to you.  Allow a few students to share out with the entire group.

Follow the same procedure to review some of the events in Julius, the Baby of the World. 

 

We know that good readers retell the story to show that they understand.  Good readers can also compare two stories by telling how the character's adventures or experiences are the same.  Let's look at an illustration from each book and compare Lilly's experiences.  Show the illustration in Chester's Way where Lilly dresses up as the ferocious cat to scare away the bigger boys and the illustration in Julius where Julius is in the swing and Lilly is wearing a mask and attempting to scare him.  (the pages in Julius are not numbered, but it is the 8th page in the text)

Turn and talk to your partner about how these illustrations are the same.  Think about Lilly's experiences and how she might be feeling.  Listen to your partner's idea and see if you can add on to tell more information about the experiences.  Allow time for students to chat.  Signal for students to regroup and have a few students share out to the whole group. 

Now you and your partner have compared the two illustrations and experiences.  Let's work together as a whole group to contrast the two pictures.  Contrast means that we tell how the experiences are different.  Look back at the two illustrations.  What is different?  Prompt to elicit responses such as who Lilly is scaring, different costumes, different purposes for her scaring, whether or not her scaring works, etc.

Remember, good readers compare and contrast in order to better understand what the author is saying.  Now, you have the chance to compare and contrast on your own.  Think back to your retellings of both of the stories.  Have students pull out their work from the previous lessons if possible.  Think about Lilly's experiences and adventures and how they are the same and different across the two books.  Show the Compare and Contrast graphic organizer.  Today, you use kid-writing to tell how two of Lilly's experiences are the same.  You will kid-write a sentence in this top box.  You may add an illustration as well if you would like, but you must write first. 

Then, you will contrast two of Lilly's experiences by kid-writing in the two separate boxes at the bottom of the page.  One box is for an experience from Chester's Way.  The other box is for an experience from Julius, the Baby of the World.*

*if this is the first experience with this concept (compare/contrast) and with the graphic organizer, divide this activity into two separate sections.  Focus on the 'compare' lesson components first and then complete that section of the organizer.  Regroup and extend the lesson to include the contrast components at another time.  Adjust as needed for the needs of your students.

Ask for a volunteer to review their task.  Provide a few minutes for students to discuss their ideas with their Smart Partner before sending them off to work.  Support students as they work by monitoring the classroom and their progress. 

For closure, bring students together in a whole group and use a 4 Corners type of activity to wrap up the lesson.  Move students to one of 4 corners based on their response for the 'compare' section of the graphic organizer.  Similar responses move to the same corner.  In that area, students share our their 'contrast' experiences with the small group. Assign a group leader to direct the discussion if so desired.

Students will complete the compare/contrast graphic organizer using kid writing and/or illustrations to depict adventures and experiences from the two chosen texts.

other lessons in this unit and their related materials

Retelling Fluency Main Ideas Details Compare Contrast Volume Character(s) Setting Order (Sequence) Summary Beginning Middle End Picture Cues Predictable text Prior Knowledge

John F. Berry, Kindergarten teacher, Penn Manor School District Susan M. Groff, First grade teacher, Boyertown Area School District Sara E. Obarow, Reading Specialist, Boyertown Area School District

January 17, 2013