Motivate and Engage Students to Think Critically through Close Reading of Complex Texts Leah Ames Send requests for the PowerPoint version of this presentation to: perfectionlearning.com Des Moines, Iowa

What is at stake? Students must learn how to read/view/listen closely to develop the critical thinking skills needed for success with: Required courses High-stakes assessments High school diploma College entrance & completion Employment Students must learn how to read/view/listen closely to develop the critical thinking skills needed for success with: Required courses High-stakes assessments High school diploma College entrance & completion Employment

What are the goals?  ALL students engage in reading complex fiction and nonfiction texts closely.  ALL students write and speak using relevant textual evidence.  ALL students analyze and evaluate texts for deeper meaning and connections.  ALL students engage in reading complex fiction and nonfiction texts closely.  ALL students write and speak using relevant textual evidence.  ALL students analyze and evaluate texts for deeper meaning and connections.

But we already read this! Can you count the catches?

What is your role in teaching complex texts?  Model being an involved, curious thinker  Demonstrate genuine interest in student’s ideas  Monitor textual evidence  Resist giving student’s answers to questions  Model being an involved, curious thinker  Demonstrate genuine interest in student’s ideas  Monitor textual evidence  Resist giving student’s answers to questions

Close Reading with Media First View – What? Ask students, What did you notice? What is the story? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? First View – What? Ask students, What did you notice? What is the story? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Closely observe the commercial.

Second View – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What do the creators use to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Second View – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What do the creators use to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Watch the commercial again. Close Reading with Media

Third View – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this an effective commercial? What specific elements make it effective (or not effective)? What other advertisements have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other commercials that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective? Third View – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this an effective commercial? What specific elements make it effective (or not effective)? What other advertisements have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other commercials that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective? Watch the commercial one more time. Close Reading with Media Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video?

Build a framework of questions for complex texts Essential Question Who can be a hero? SYNTHESIZING Related questions for building background: What are some types of heroes? CLASSIFYING What makes a hero? ANALYZING Hero or not? EVALUATING Essential Question Who can be a hero? SYNTHESIZING Related questions for building background: What are some types of heroes? CLASSIFYING What makes a hero? ANALYZING Hero or not? EVALUATING

What makes a hero? First Read/Listen – What? Ask, What did you notice? What is the main point? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Encourage students to support their inferences using evidence from the lyrics. First Read/Listen – What? Ask, What did you notice? What is the main point? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Encourage students to support their inferences using evidence from the lyrics. “Brave” by Sara Bareilles

Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? “Brave” by Sara Bareilles Stanza 1: You can be amazing you can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug You can be outcast or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love Or you can start speaking up Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do when they settle ‘neath your skin Kept on the inside and no sunlight sometimes a shadow wins But I wonder what would happen if you Chorus: Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out! Honestly, I wanna see you be BRAVE! What makes a hero?

Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? “Brave” by Sara Bareilles Stanza 2: Everybody’s been there Everybody’s been stared down By the enemy Falling for the fear And done some disappearing Bow down to the mighty Don’t run stop holding your tongue Maybe there is a way out of the cage where you live Maybe one of the days you can let the light in Show me how big your brave is! Chorus: Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out! Honestly, I wanna see you be BRAVE! What makes a hero?

Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Require students to provide evidence: What did you see that supports your idea? Can you show me where that is in the video? “Brave” by Sara Bareilles Stanza 3: Innocence, your history of silence won’t do you any good Did you think it would? Let your words be anything but empty why don’t you tell them the truth? Chorus: Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out! Honestly, I wanna see you be BRAVE! What makes a hero?

Third View – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this effective? What specific elements make it effective (or not effective)? What other songs have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other songs that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective? Third View – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this effective? What specific elements make it effective (or not effective)? What other songs have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other songs that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective? What makes a hero?

Who can be a hero? “Brave” by Sara Bareilles You can be amazing you can turn a phrase into a weapon or a drug You can be outcast or be the backlash of somebody’s lack of love Or you can start speaking up Nothing’s gonna hurt you the way that words do when they settle ‘neath your skin Kept on the inside and no sunlight sometimes a shadow wins But I wonder what would happen if you Say what you wanna say and let the words fall out! Honestly, I wanna see you be BRAVE! Make meaningful connections across texts

What are some types of heroes? To Be a Hero Literature & Thought Anthology SB p. 23d First Read/Listen – What? What did you notice? What is the main point? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Third Read – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this effective? What specific elements make it effective or not? What other songs have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other songs that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective? First Read/Listen – What? What did you notice? What is the main point? What is unclear? What is directly stated? What is implied? Second Read/Listen – How? How does the writer accomplish his/her purpose? What is used to accomplish their purpose? Music or visuals? Words? Story? Third Read – Why or why not? Why is this or isn’t this effective? What specific elements make it effective or not? What other songs have you seen with the same theme? Have you seen other songs that use this idea or method of persuasion more effectively? Why was it more or (less) effective?

There is no single right way to do a close reading of a text! Close read excerpts from longer, complex texts using these strategies. SB p. 143

Motivate and Engage Students to Think Critically through Close Reading of Complex Texts Leah Ames Send requests for the PowerPoint version of this presentation to: perfectionlearning.com Des Moines, Iowa

CEU CODE TL-51