Stop and Notice and Note!

When you take a Journey through a Book, Don’t forget to STOP! At any Notice and Note Signposts!

When a character says or does something opposite what she has been saying or doing all along…

When a character says or does something opposite (contradicts) what he/she has been saying or doing all along… The author is showing something important about the character. and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“Why would the character act or feel this way?” ->“I wonder if it might be…” The answers could help you make a prediction or an inference about the plot and conflict.

When a character has an ‘a-ha!’ moment and realizes something

When a character has an ‘a-ha!’ moment and realizes something… The author is showing you some kind of change -- something important about the character or the plot! and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“How might this change things?” ->“Now that the character realizes this, I think that…” If the character figured out a problem, you probably just learned about the conflict. If the character understood a life lesson, you probably just learned a theme. and Notice and Note!

When a character asks him/her self or a friend the tough questions

When a character asks him/her self or a friend the tough questions… You’re getting a glimpse of what is bothering the character the most – you’re seeing what the character will struggle with through the story. and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“What does this question make me wonder about?” ->“These questions make me think that…” The answers will tell you about the conflict and might give you ideas about what will happen later in the story. and Notice and Note!

When a character hears words of information or advice from a wise elder

When a character (who is usually older and probably a lot wiser) takes the main character aside and gives serious advice… The character – and you – should pay close attention. The author is telling you something very important about the big issues or ideas in the story. and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“What is the elder encouraging the character to think about?” ->“The important issue the elder wants the character to think about here is…” Whatever the idea is, you’ve probably found a theme for the story. and Notice and Note!

When a word or an image or a phrase is repeated again and again

When a word or an image or a phrase or a situation is repeated again and again… You know that it has to be important (but you might not know why for a while). Repetition may give you insight into a character or a setting, or it may be symbolic (have meaning). and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“Why does this keep happening again and again?” ->“What could it mean?” The answers will tell you about the theme or conflict, or they might foreshadow what will happen later. and Notice and Note!

When you’re reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory

When you’re reading and the author interrupts the action to tell you a memory… The memory can tell us: -something about what is happening right now in the story; -something about what bothers or motivates a character; or The memory may help us understand something happening in the plot. and Notice and Note!

Ask yourself: ->“Why might this memory be important?” ->“This memory might be important because…” The answers will tell you about theme, conflict, or might foreshadow what will happen later in the story. and Notice and Note!

ѼQuickly get into groups of 3. ѼDiscuss the Notice and Note signposts. ѼTry to find as many as you can. ѼAnswer the questions. What do the signposts teach you? ѼTake notes!

7A Signpost Signs! Move around the room and write neatly, in letters big enough to read, on the posters. Be sure to write: ◌A word or two about when it’s seen ◌What insight it gives into the plot, theme, character, etc. {What you learned} Sample: When Tim says again and again that he doesn’t know who is right, Sam or Father, or what to be, a Rebel or a Tory, the reader learns about Tim’s major person v. self conflict: Who he should really be? A follower or his own person? This allows us to more clearly see his character’s development and to see that ultimately he realizes (turning point) that growing up means deciding for himself what is right—a theme of the story.

6A: Brainstorm and note: words or phrases that come up again and again; scenes when Mattie asks herself tough questions; scenes when a wiser/older person offers advice; scenes when Mattie acts differently from usual; scenes when Mattie realizes something important

Answer the Questions For each scene that you noticed and noted: – Identify which signpost it is – Answer the corresponding questions (USE your bookmarks!). – Try to figure (and note) what the answers to the questions teach you about the character, the plot, or the themes of the book. C&C The character usually… but now is… Maybe the character… I think that later, the character may… A-Ha! The character realized that… This may change things by… Maybe… TQ The character is asking him/her self or someone whether… This tells me that a big conflict the character is facing is… I think that later… WW The life lesson the character learns is… With this new information, the character may… One of the big ideas running through the book might be… AA X happened (when) and again now. This might happen again and again because… I think that later… MM The character remembered that… This memory may come up now because… This memory shows me that…

Sticky Note Rubric # of notesDescriptions of scene What is learned Predictions or insights into theme, plot, character… Grade MANY (at least one every couple of pages Details clearly explained A lot (at least one every 5 pages) Some reference to details Some explanation of what is learned Occasional prediction or deep insight Some (at least one every pages) Some reference to details Occasional prediction or deep insight Few (25 or fewer in the book) Little/no reference to details No prediction or deeper thinking Very few-none (0-24) Little/no reference to details No prediction or deeper thinking 0-70