1. Close Reading Activity
“Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes
Materials:
pencil, highlighters, copies of text, Writer’s NB

2. Part 1: Independent Read
Mark with an “E” – emotional shifts
Where do you react to the story as a reader?
Where do characters have an emotional response to events?
Mark with a “P” – plot shifts
What are the most important events in the story?
Mark with a “Q” – questions
Where are you confused?
Ask questions of characters and plot
Mark with a “C” – conflicts
Point out internal and external conflicts

3. Part 2: Turn and Talk
Share your text annotations with your desk partner
What do you have in common?
What is different about your markings?
DISCUSS the CONFLICTS:
What does Roger want?
What does Mrs. Jones want?
What is Roger struggling with?

4. Part 3: Teacher Read Aloud
Listen as your teacher reads the story aloud
Continue to mark up your text as we discuss the story together
Our purpose for reading this second time is to really focus on character traits
As you follow along, put a star
next to the lines that help us characterize Roger and Mrs. Jones

5. Part 4: Develop a Theory/Claim
We need to vote on one character (Roger or Mrs. Jones) and decide on one character trait that we would like to examine more deeply in the story.
Let’s VOTE:
ROGER
MRS. JONES

6. Part 5: Collecting Evidence and Explaining with Reasoning!
Character Roger
Character Trait ___
Objectives: Practice making citations, practice with quotes, and practice with reasoning.

7. Evidence with Citations
The Basics:
Use quotes around statements taken from a story.
Put the author's last name in parenthesis and also list the page number after the author’s last name
Put your ending punctuation on the outside of the parenthesis

8. Samples
“She was a large woman with a large purse that has everything in it but a hammer and nails,” (Hughes 64).
Mrs. Jones was described as “a large woman,” (Hughes 64).
Mrs. Jones carried many items in her purse (Hughes 64).

9. Evidence – Quotation that shows the character trait (use citation)
Page #
Evidence – Quotation that shows the character trait (use citation)
Reasoning – Explain how that moment, dialogue, act, or conflict helps us see the character

10. Evidence – Quotation that shows the character trait (use citation)
Page #
Evidence – Quotation that shows the character trait (use citation)
Reasoning – Explain how that moment, dialogue, act, or conflict helps us see the character 65
Mrs. Jones told Roger to, “Let the water run until it gets warm,” and she added, “Here’s a clean towel,” (Hughes 65).
This dialogue shows that Mrs. Jones cares about Roger because she doesn’t want him to wash his face with cold water. It’s usually a guardian’s advice for kids. 66
Mrs. Jones offers to make some hot cocoa for Roger (Hughes 66).
This scene from the story displays an act of kindness from Mrs. Jones to Roger because hot cocoa is considered a comfort drink. 67
“Now here,” Mrs. Jones started, “take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes,” (Hughes 67).
This moment from the story proves that Mrs. Jones is caring because she is willing to give money to a boy in order for him to buy something he desires.

11. Definitive Claim
In the short story, “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, readers discover that Mrs. Jones is a truly caring person.

12. How to transition from your claim to your first piece of evidence:
There are many examples from the story which show Mrs. Jones's caring personality. One example is when...

13. NB Entry: Character Analysis of ______
Definitive claim (with TAG)
Transition into evidence
Evidence with citation (Hughes pg. #).
Reasoning
Conclusion
At least ten sentences total
Don’t worry about separating into paragraphs

14. Mrs. Jones told Roger to, “Let the water run until it gets warm,” and she added, “Here’s a clean towel” (Hughes 65). This dialogue shows that Mrs. Jones cares about Roger because she doesn’t want him to wash his face with cold water. It’s usually a guardian’s advice for kids.