1. CLOSE READING Tell Me, Tree By Gail Gibbons
Presentation by Jamie Shimomura
1st Grade Teacher
Ardenwood Elementary School

2. PREPARING FOR THE LESSONS…
Select a topic you would like to teach and find a book that provides rich vocabulary, detailed illustrations, and complex content.
Decide what passage(s) you want to introduce to your students for the CLOSE reading lesson.
Extract 3-5 key vocabulary words from the selected passage to focus on in your lesson.
Establish 3 Text Dependent Questions (TDQs) that you will ask your students to answer citing evidence from the selected passage.
Type out and make copies of the selected text so that your students can make annotations.
Use an informational organizer or checklist to help your students along.
I used the following in my lesson: document camera and projector, chart paper, markers, crayons (or highlighters), Tell Me, Tree book
Teachers Pay Teachers has many prepared CLOSE reading activities and lessons. This lesson was from TPT, but I added and altered several elements to fit the needs of my class and my teaching style.

3. Spark Interest…
I chose to start this entire CLOSE reading lesson off with an art project that correlates to our Science standards. Together, my students and I completed a directed art drawing of a seedling. I did not tell them what we were drawing and it led to conversations as we drew to what the picture would be. Since we drew each part, step by step, and talked about the importance of roots, the stem, leaves, and seeds, and how roots absorb water and minerals to help aid the tree to grow.
Materials: White copy paper, black felt tip pens, Crayola Watercolor Pencils, water, cups, small-tip paintbrushes
Total time to complete: ~2 ½ 45- minute periods.
Student Directed Drawing: Final Product (actual student product!)
Model Illustration from Tell Me, Tree

4. DAY 1: PREVIEW KEY VOCABULARY AND READ THE STORY
Introduce the key vocabulary you would like your students to learn.
Ask your class for some meanings and post them next to the words… and keep these words posted in your room.
Be sure to save this for the end of the lesson!
Read the story!
Time: ~ 45 minutes

5. Day 2: Informational Organizer and CLOSE reading of selected passage
Together, we completed the title on the Informational Organizer.
Then I introduced the CLOSE reading symbols.
We then read the passage together and stopped after each section/paragraph to record our thoughts.
Time: ~ 50 minutes

6. Day 3: Text Dependent Questions (TDQ) and Citing Evidence
We reread the passage and reviewed what we had already done so far. I then introduced a TDQ Chart that listed the 3 questions I had pre-established.
They were tasked with figuring out the answer for each question and to cite where they found it in the text.
Time: ~ 45 minutes

7. Day 4: Wrap-up I had the class take a look at the vocabulary words
and their initial predictions.
After a small group discussion, we recorded new
definitions based on what they had learned.
Time: ~ 30 minutes
We completed the main idea section together
on the Informational Organizer.
Students then discussed what they had learned from
the passage and recorded their thoughts.

8. Student Samples!
Student performing grade level expectations
More!

9. ELL 3 Student
More!

10. Student performing slightly below expectations