1. Today’s Objective SWBAT: Conduct a Close Reading of a written
text and make and support a claim.

2. Name and describe the shots below.

3. Argyle Middle School
Close Reading

4. What is Close Reading?
A close reading is a careful and purposeful reading. Well actually, it’s rereading. It’s a careful and purposeful rereading of a text. It’s an encounter with the text where students really focus on what the author had to say, what the author’s purpose was, what the words mean, and what the structure of the text tells us. Close reading requires that students actually think and understand what they are reading.
Refer to Close Reading three-sheeter

5. What is the Purpose of Close Reading?
The goal of any close reading is to:
understand the general content of a text even when you don’t understand every word or concept in it.
spot techniques that writers use to get their ideas and feelings across and explain how they work.
judge whether techniques the writer has used succeed or fail and compare and contrast the successes and failures of different writers’ techniques.
Refer to Close Reading three-sheeter

6. First Read Journal Questions:
Who is the author speaking to?
2. What message is the author trying to convey?
Read excerpt aloud to the group

7. Second Read
3. Why does Seuss repeat the phrase, “You’ll get mixed up?”
4. Why is the phrase, “Life’s a Great Balancing Act” capitalized?
Diction/Word Choice

8. Third Read
5. How does the mood of the poem change from the beginning to the end?
Syntax

9. Taking a Closer Look at Close Reading
Reflect on the process…Show video then have participants reflect on the questions used for the Seuss Close Reading task
Summarizer…play the What is Close Reading? video
(click image on slide to open)
Four things to consider when conducting a close reading: language (look at the diction/word choice..What words did the author choose to emphasize?, narrative…Who is telling the story and how is it being told?, syntax…order in which words appear, context…historical context, author’s background
First Read: (Narrative)
Who is the author speaking to? What message is the author trying to convey/communicate?
Second Read: (Diction/Word Choice)
Why does Seuss repeat the phrase, “You’ll get mixed up?”
Why is the phrase, “Great Balancing Act” capitalized?
Third Read: Syntax
How does the mood of the poem change from the beginning to the end?