Close Reading

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Custom Lesson Plan to Create a Positive Classroom Environment

Secondary Teaching -- English -- 7th-12th Grades

Close Reading Lesson Plan

Guided Study

Qualitative

Quantitative

Reader and Task Considerations

Class Lesson

Group Project

Individual

Close Reading Lesson Plan

The modern educational environment, and society in general, is continuously becoming more complex. Students have more information available to them than any other previous generation. The internet has become ubiquitous in most parts of society and students can now research nearly any subject on their own. However, self-study requires discipline and a certain skill set to be effective. One of the skills that is necessary for truly comprehending information that a student might encounter is known as close reading. Close reading challenges students to not only comprehend the information that is being presented, but also to use critical thinking to put this information in a context that can provide insight. Close reading can be defined as (ASCD, 2013):

"Close, analytic reading stresses engaging with a text of sufficient complexity directly and examining meaning thoroughly and methodically, encouraging students to read and reread deliberately. Directing student attention on the text itself empowers students to understand the central ideas and key supporting details. It also enables students to reflect on the meanings of individual words and sentences; the order in which sentences unfold; and the development of ideas over the course of the text, which ultimately leads students to arrive at an understanding of the text as a whole."

A close reading analysis is a life skill that is useful in and out of the classroom and can be useful over the course of a lifetime. This lesson plan will use a variety of techniques to help students engage in the process of close reading. Close reading is also consistent with the TEKS requirements for reading comprehension. Therefore this lesson to provide a valuable lesson while adhering to the TEK requirements.

Guided Study

The first part of the lesson plan will consist of a guided study session in which the teacher will provide an example of a passage that the students will read and dissect as a group. The first step will be to have the students read a short story as homework overnight before the class. The material that is selected will be challenging enough to push the students' ability to comprehend the material. Hopefully, the students will read the material enough to be familiar with at least the outline of the plot in the story. The story that has been selected for this exercise is:

Dillard, Annie. "Living Like Weasels"

Other texts could also be selected based on the individual preferences of the class. A text that is used for a close reading lesson must be sufficiently challenging so that students are forced to apply themselves to try to dissect the meaning based on reasoning. There are three categories of questions to consider when choosing a text and there are a virtually infinite of different texts that can be used in class. The three considerations are (Burke, N.d.)

Qualitative

Does this text offer ideas or information that further students understanding of the topic?

Does the text include a text structure that …

Does the text follow familiar language conventions -- sentence structures, word choices, etc.

What background knowledge do my students need to have to be successful with this text?

Quantitative

Is this text on an appropriate readability level for the students in my group? How can I scaffold my students to ensure their success with this text?

The primary leveling tool used by the Common Core is Lexile. For more information or to find the lexile of a text, visit Lexile.com.

Reader and Task Considerations

How much prior knowledge do my students have about this topic?

How interested are they?

What will be difficult for my students in reading this passage?

Figure 1 - Text Selection (Burke, N.d.)

Class Lesson

The first part of the lesson will be to assign the students the reading to complete on their own time. The instructor will explain that the text is supposed to challenge them and explain that they should not be discouraged if they do not understand some or all of the content. The instructor should let the students' know that it is a difficult text and they should do the best job they can with trying to comprehend as much as the meaning as possible -- they should be reassured that it is alright if they do not understand everything.

The first day of discussing the text will start with a discussion.

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The instructor will ask students about the plot and meaning of the story. The instructor can lead the discussion to try to get a feel for exactly how much the students comprehended from the text. It is likely that some of the student will comprehend a majority of the text while others might be dumbfounded to what the text was trying to convey. Whatever the case, the instructors should use this opportunity to see what the students was able to gain from the story.

The next step in the close reading lesson will be to select some of the more challenging passages for class discussion. The entire class will read the same passage individually and the passage will also be displayed on an over-head projector or smart-board if available. The instructor can then lead a discussion that teases out some of the finer points and metaphors that the author makes. Through the discussion, the students can contribute and learn how to read deeply into the text.

Group Project

A similar process will be recreated except in a group format. Students will be divided into groups of four. Each group will be given different reading assignments that are challenging but appropriate for a close reading exercise. The students will again be expected to read the texts for the first time on their own time.

Then class time will be granted for the students to work together in their groups to discuss the story that they have read. Each group will also be required to select a passage from their respective story to present to the class. The group will present the information that they were able to acquire from reading the text. There will also be some time for interaction from the group with the class for questions and discussion of the materials presented.

Individual Assignments

For the last phase of the lesson on close reading, students will be required to work on their own. Each student will be required to select a reading online, either fiction or non-fiction, and analyze it closely. The students will prepare a short paper that presents information about the reason they selected the work that they did, what they learned about the subject the paper or story covered, and what they were able to reveal by using close reading techniques. Students will not be required to present their individual work, but they will be required to submit a short written analysis (approx. 1-2 pages) that discusses what they learned.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

The theory of multiple intelligences (MI) was first proposed by Howard Gardner as he obtained certain insights into his field of research (Gardner, 2006). His methodology included an eight step approach that he used to develop the first seven different types of intelligences as well as the eighth and ninth which were added later. This theory basically states that individuals can learn in significantly different ways and some students will be more effective in different types of instructional formats. This lesson plan was designed with the theory of multiple intelligences in mind. For example, the first phase consists of individual work, followed by guided discussion, a group assignment that is presented before the class, and finally a written assignment that is prepared individual. This lesson plan makes use of a variety of activities and thus students with a different types of intelligences should be able to excel in their corresponding favored learning style.

Conclusion

This lesson is focused on helping the student continue to refine their critical thinking skills and their ability to comprehend difficult literary works. This lesson is expected to create a positive classroom environment by engaging the students with difficult material and allow them to analyze it from different perspectives with guidance from the instructor. Close reading is a skill that not only can help a student while they are in school, but can also serve as an invaluable skill that they can use throughout their lives. Thus this exercise was selected because it can be an invaluable life lesson.

After the individual assignments are completed, the instructor can lead a discussion that covers the advantages of close readings and the students will have the opportunity to share their insights to what they may have learned throughout the lesson. Having groups present their findings will take pressure off any one individual as well as engage the class in discussion. However, having individuals submit their individual work as a….....

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