Strategy: Schema/Making Connections : First 20 Days Conversation RoundTable Day 1 Modeling Making Connections Materials: pens, anchor chart paper, read aloud (Teacher copy and student copy attached), Conversation Round Table Paper

http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/Student%20Reading%20Comprehension%20Strategies%20explanation%20from%20Leslie.pdf

Focus Lesson● Goals

● Content Goal: Students will understand and comprehend text more effectively through the use of text to self connections.

● Language Goal: Students will read a piece of writing, and practice making connections between the text and their own lives.

● Social Goal: Students will practice active listening and respectful discourse using the connections sentence frames (SEE LAST PAGE OF LESSONS)

● Purpose:● Today we are going to be looking at a piece of text and relating our lives to the text. I will

first model for you and then we will work on it together. ● We will be using a conversation round table and recording our notes in 1 box of four. ● First, can anyone tell me what it means to make text to self connections while I am

reading?● Take information given and create an anchor chart. (Suggestion anchor chart attached)● I am going to practice this and you listen and feel free to write down your own

connections

● Model○ Think Aloud/Model

■ Read text that is personally meaningful or a kids book with pictures that you can model visual connects as well.

● Model (think-aloud) how you relate to parts of the text

● Guided Practice:�○ Post or hand out remaining part of the story and read aloud ○ Stop in designated areas or after each page and give students time to record and share

their own text to self connections○ Teacher walks around and prompts or pushes thinking to help students make more

meaningful connections

Small Group Lesson ● Continue this activity only in a small group ● Provide the rest of the read aloud or choose a second reading to apply the connections strategy.

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss (Oh my goodness I already have a text to self connection. I love Dr. Seuss books. I used to curl up next to my daddy at night and he would read me Dr. Seuss books with the funny voices, and sometimes he would change the names of the characters to something even sillier to make me laugh. I am excited to read.)

Congratulations!Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!You're off and away!You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoesYou can steer yourselfany direction you choose.You're on your own. And you know what you know.And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.Wow this is really true. I have had a lot of decisions to make in my life, and once I got older I realized I really am the one who decides which direction my life will go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.Hmm…This very true. I have been in situations where I was able to choose a street that would have taken me somewhere “not-so-good.” I am glad I chose to go the other direction, because I have a few friends who sadly chose those streets and now they are struggling in life.

And you may not find anyyou'll want to go down.In that case, of course,you'll head straight out of town.I really did this one. I moved away to college, married a military guy and then we moved to Mississippi, Nebraska, Florida and Alaska. We have been married in 27 states and three countries. I love traveling and seeing different cultures and meeting new people.

OKAY LETS TRY A FEW AS A CLASSIt's opener therein the wide open air.

Out there things can happenand frequently doto people as brainyand footsy as you.And when things start to happen,don't worry. Don't stew.Just go right along.You'll start happening too.INSERT STUDENT RESPONSES OH!THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!You'll be on your way up!You'll be seeing great sights!You'll join the high flierswho soar to high heights.You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.Except when you don'tBecause, sometimes, you won't.INSERT STUDENT RESPONSESSMALL GROUP BREAKOUT SESSIONI'm sorry to say sobut, sadly, it's trueand Hang-upscan happen to you.You can get all hung upin a prickle-ly perch.And your gang will fly on.You'll be left in a Lurch.You'll come down from the Lurchwith an unpleasant bump.And the chances are, then,that you'll be in a Slump.INSERT STUDENT RESPONSESAnd when you're in a Slump,you're not in for much fun.Un-slumping yourselfis not easily done.You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?How much can you lose? How much can you win?And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?Or go around back and sneak in from behind?Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.INSERT STUDENT RESPONSESYou can get so confusedthat you'll start in to racedown long wiggled roads at a break-necking paceand grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.The Waiting Place......for people just waiting.

You can use this for the next few lessons Waiting for a train to goor a bus to come, or a plane to goor the mail to come, or the rain to goor the phone to ring, or the snow to snowor waiting around for a Yes or a Noor waiting for their hair to grow.Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to biteor waiting for wind to fly a kiteor waiting around for Friday nightor waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jakeor a pot to boil, or a Better Breakor a string of pearls, or a pair of pantsor a wig with curls, or Another Chance.Everyone is just waiting.

NO!That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escapeall that waiting and staying.You'll find the bright placeswhere Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,once more you'll ride high!Ready for anything under the sky.Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.And the magical things you can do with that ballwill make you the winning-est winner of all.Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some timesyou'll play lonely games too.Games you can't win'cause you'll play against you.All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,Alone will be somethingyou'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chanceyou'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.There are some, down the road between hither and yon,that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will gothough the weather be foulOn you will gothough your enemies prowlOn you will gothough the Hakken-Kraks howlOnward up manya frightening creek,though your arms may get soreand your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hikeand I know you'll hike farand face up to your problemswhatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,as you already know.You'll get mixed upwith many strange birds as you go.So be sure when you step.Step with care and great tactand remember that Life'sa Great Balancing Act.Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.And never mix up your right foot with your left.And will you succeed?Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,you're off to Great Places!Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!

TEXT TO SELF ANCHOR CHART

Student Copy Oh The Places You’ll Go

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

by Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoesYou can steer yourselfany direction you choose.You're on your own. And you know what you know.And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find anyyou'll want to go down.In that case, of course,you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener therein the wide open air.

Out there things can happenand frequently doto people as brainyand footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,don't worry. Don't stew.Just go right along.You'll start happening too.

OH!THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!You'll be seeing great sights!You'll join the high flierswho soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don'tBecause, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say sobut, sadly, it's trueand Hang-upscan happen to you.

You can get all hung upin a prickle-ly perch.And your gang will fly on.You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurchwith an unpleasant bump.And the chances are, then,that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,you're not in for much fun.Un-slumping yourselfis not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right...or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?Or go around back and sneak in from behind?Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confusedthat you'll start in to racedown long wiggled roads at a break-necking paceand grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.The Waiting Place...

...for people just waiting.Waiting for a train to goor a bus to come, or a plane to goor the mail to come, or the rain to goor the phone to ring, or the snow to snowor waiting around for a Yes or a Noor waiting for their hair to grow.Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to biteor waiting for wind to fly a kiteor waiting around for Friday nightor waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jakeor a pot to boil, or a Better Breakor a string of pearls, or a pair of pantsor a wig with curls, or Another Chance.Everyone is just waiting.

NO!That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escapeall that waiting and staying.You'll find the bright placeswhere Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,once more you'll ride high!Ready for anything under the sky.Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!There are points to be scored. there are games to be won.And the magical things you can do with that ballwill make you the winning-est winner of all.Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some timesyou'll play lonely games too.Games you can't win'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!Whether you like it or not,Alone will be somethingyou'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chanceyou'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.There are some, down the road between hither and yon,that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will gothough the weather be foulOn you will gothough your enemies prowlOn you will gothough the Hakken-Kraks howlOnward up manya frightening creek,though your arms may get soreand your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hikeand I know you'll hike farand face up to your problemswhatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,as you already know.You'll get mixed upwith many strange birds as you go.So be sure when you step.Step with care and great tactand remember that Life'sa Great Balancing Act.Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?Yes! You will, indeed!(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So...be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,you're off to Great Places!Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!

Strategy: Schema/Making Connections Day 2 Modeling Making Connections Materials: pens, anchor chart paper (attached suggestion), read aloud, paper, online http://reading.ecb.org/student/connections/slingshot/ and http://reading.ecb.org/student/connections/mountain/

Focus Lesson● Goals

● Content Goal: Students will understand and comprehend text more effectively through the use of text to text connections.

● Language Goal: Students will read a piece of writing, and practice making connections between the text and text they have experienced throughout the week.

● Social Goal: Students will practice active listening and respectful discourse using the connections sentence frames (SEE LAST PAGE OF LESSONS)

● Purpose:● Today we are going to be looking at a piece of text and relating the text to text we

have discussed earlier in the week. We are going to use a game to do this online. (Put on Promethean board)

○ Mountain ● Record information from website and ask students to help you create an anchor

chart. (Suggestion anchor chart attached)● I am going to practice the first ones and then we will do it together

● Model○ Think Aloud/Model

■ Using Mountain Game in the Into The Book website model aloud your thought process

● Guided Practice:�○ Practice the rest of the story with the students practicing after discussing each

one with a partner.

Small Group Lesson ● You can use the rest of Oh The Places You’ll Go or have students play a Into the Book

game (Slingshot)

Strategy: Schema/Making Connections Day 3 Modeling Making Connections Materials: pens, anchor chart paper, local newspaper, online articles from different news sites

Focus Lesson● Goals

● Content Goal: Students will understand and comprehend text more effectively through the use of text to world connections.

● Language Goal: Students will read a variety of newspaper articles from different parts of the country. Students will compare them to what is happening in Iowa.

● Social Goal: Students will practice active listening and respectful discourse using the connections sentence frames (SEE LAST PAGE OF LESSONS)

● Purpose:● Today we are going to be looking at a variety of news articles and compare that

to what is happening in the local newspaper today. ● Create an anchor chart about what it means to connect text to the world● I am going to practice the first ones and then we will do it together

● Model○ Think Aloud/Model

■ Using the paper in your area find a few articles from a global site to compare them to prior to the lesson

● Canada ● World News Daily ● The Telegraph - Europe

● Guided Practice:�○ Practice the rest of the story with the students practicing after discussing each

one with a partner.

Small Group Lesson ● You can continue to use an article chose with the guided practice or modeling and

practice in a small group

MAKING CONNECTIONS SENTENCE FRAMES - I suggest posting these or having a copy for all students to put in their thoughtful logs