Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading

Selection: Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman Grade: 3 Unit 1

Initial Planning
Identify the Core Understandings and Key Ideas of the Text
As in any good backward mapping process, teachers should start by identifying the key
insights they want students to understand from the text. Keeping the major points to be
made in mind is crucial for crafting an overarching set of successful questions. This step is
also critical for creating a means to check for student understanding.

Identify Lesson Focus: (Review Qualitative Measures)

Knowledge demands:
Moderately Complex (everyday practical knowledge, some abstract ideas or theatrical/historical references, explores a single
theme, few cultural references to outside ideas)
Pg. 46 Raj said You cant be Peter thats a boys name
Pg. 47 Natalie said he isnt black
Pg. 48 Ma said a girl can be Peter Pan if she wants to

Organization:
Text Structure: (Briefly describe the structure, organization, and other features of the text)
Slightly complex (sequential, chronological order, no shifts in point of view, illustrations provide support for text)
Language Features: (Briefly describe the conventions and clarity of the language used in the text, including the complexity of the
vocabulary and sentence structures.)
Moderately Complex (some of the vocabulary and figurative language might be unfamiliar but generally easy to understand, a few
instances of unfamiliar or historical references, sentences are simple and compound)
Pg. 42, 43 Joan of Arc, Anansi, Troy
Pg. 49 another one who dont know nothing.

Text features:
Colorful illustrations that add meaning to narrative and provide context for character motivation.
Bold highlighted vocabulary

CCSS Focus Standards:

R.L. 3.3 Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events
R.L. 3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
R.L. 3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a texts illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story

Use shorter text or excerpts of longer texts

Supporting Student Needs

Considerations for Reader and Task
To really understand a complex text, the reader will have to read it more than once, to make
sense of what the author is saying and to glean the details at both the explicit and implicit
levels. First and foremost, close reading demands a willingness to return to the text to read
part or even all of it more than once, ultimately instilling habits of mind in approaching text.
Planning for multiple reads as well as multiple purposes for reads is essential in order to
support all student needs.

Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins

Potential Challenges this Text Poses:

Meaning: (Conceptual Understanding Examples, pg. #)

Vocabulary is moderately complex with references to unfamiliar
literary/theatrical/historical figures (but not essential to
understanding the story) such as Peter Pan pg. 46, Joan of Arc
pg. 42, Romeo and Juliet pg. 50, Troy pg. 43, Hiawatha pg. 44
Language: (Syntax, Vocabulary Examples, pg. #)
Understanding of colloquial vs. academic language
Pg. 57 I feel as if I could fly all the way home.
Make an inference between a black Juliet ballerina and a black,
female Peter Pan

Strategies/Lessons to access complex text:

Pre teach

CCSS Focus Standards: RL 3.3, 3.4, 3.7

Accessing prior knowledge through discussion and picture walk
Pre-teach vocabulary, front-loading, connect prior knowledge,
picture walk.
Explicit instruction of the difference between figurative and
literal language.

Pre teach

Using context clues from illustrations and text to gain

meaning
Cultural/historical characters Grace plays

Activity/Lesson

Demonstrate understanding of key vocabulary

Identify clues provided in text and illustrations
Identify character traits and use illustrations to
contribute to story

First Read: Read through the story in 1 day, have students create a story map to track
important events. Depending on the needs of the students, it can be completed in two days
(pgs. 40-49 and pgs. 50-57).

Close Reads
Create Coherent Sequence of Text-Dependent
Questions
Create Coherent Sequences of Text-Dependent Questions Start Small to Build Confidence
The opening questions should help orient students to the text, and be specific enough to
answer so students gain confidence. The sequence of questions should not be random but
should build toward more coherent understanding and analysis to ensure that students learn
to stay focused on the text to bring them to a gradual understanding of its meaning.
Think of ways to maximize student engagement.

Close Read I
Learning Focus: 3.4 and 3.7 vocabulary
Text-Dependent Questions

On pg. 43 which pictures and

words help you know how Grace
explored her world and went on
adventures?

What do the illustrations tell us

about who else wants to audition
for the role of Peter Pan? Why is

Focus CCSS:

Evidence-Based Answers/Pg. #

Grace has a pretend telescope

and is imagining looking for
something. It says lost
kingdoms so she was trying to
find them.
On page 42, Grace is going on an
adventure fighting a battle. On
the next page she is going on an
adventure as a pirate on the sea.
Grace has competition on who
will be Peter Pan. Other kids
(boys and girls, and of different

Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins

this important?
How does going to the ballet help
prepare Grace for the audition
and what do Graces friends do or
say that lets her know she was
fantastic? Cite evidence.
Does Grandma think Grace will
continue to be a success? Looking at
the words and illustrations, how do
you know?

How does the relationship between

Grace and Nana help her to succeed?
What helps you know?

races) in her class also dream to

be Peter Pan. Pgs. 46 -47
Grace was inspired by Rosalie
from her Nanas hometown. Pg.
53, I can be anything I want, she
thought. Everyone voted for her
to be Peter Pan. In the picture
they are all watching her and
smiling. Pg. 54
Pg. 57 If Grace puts her mind to it,
she can do anything she wants.
Pg. 49 you can do anything you
want, Grace, if you put your mind to
it.
Pg. 57 Ma and Nana are looking at
each other smiling looking very
proud.
Pg. 50 -51, Nana takes her to the
ballet and helps her know she can be
anything she wants to be.
Pg. 48-49, her encouraging words in
the kitchen.

Close Read II.

Learning Focus: describe how characters actions contribute to the
sequence of events RL 3.3
Focus CCSS:
Text-Dependent Questions

In the story, Grace auditions for

Peter Pan. What other parts has she
already played in her imaginary
adventures and what does this tell
us about her?

How do Graces actions demonstrate

her desire to audition for the role of
Peter Pan?

Looking at the illustration on pg. 49,

how do Grace and Ma feel? Why do
they feel this way?

Evidence-Based Answers/Pg. #

She has played an Indian, a king (pg.

41), a pirate, a spider, a warrior (pg.
42,43), and a doctor (pg. 45)
Grace is a dreamer and imaginative.
Grace likes to ________. Grace is
_________.
She has a big imagination. She likes
to pretend many different kinds of
things, not just girl things like
princesses. Sometimes she plays
with other kids but often she plays
by herself.
The author repeats but Grace kept
her had up. Pgs. 46 -47 Grace
kept her hand up because she is
determined to be Peter Pan even
though her friends tell her she cant
be.
Grace is sad because she is looking
down and leaning on Nana. Ma is a
little sad too or unhappy because
she has her head resting on her fists

Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins

What does Nana want Grace to learn

by taking her to see the ballet?

At the end of the story, on pg. 57,

Grace says, I feel as if I could fly all
the way home! What does she
mean by that?
What lesson did Grace and her
friends learn after auditioning and
performing the play?

and is just looking at Nana. They

are sad because Graces friends
didnt think she could or should be
Peter Pan because she is a girl and
black. Pg. 46 and 47
Nana took Grace to the ballet to
show her that a little girl from her
town became a famous ballerina.
Nana showed her that she can dream
big and be anything she wants to
become.
Grace feels happy and free because
she did a great job as Peter Pan and
overcame the limiting beliefs of
others.
Just because someone may not think
you can do something, you shouldnt
give up. You should try anyway if
you really want to do it.
You might be very good at it.

Checking for Understanding

How will you know that learning has occurred? Planning for a means to check student
understanding is crucial. Refer back to the Lesson Focus to plan intentionally to check for
student understanding.
Describe how you will check for student understanding:

How does Grace show creativity and determination? What details and
illustrations does the author use to help show these characteristics?

Vocabul
ary
TEACHE
R
PROVID
ES
DEFINIT
ION
not
enough
contextu
al clues

KEY WORDS ESSENTIAL TO

UNDERSTANDING
Words addressed with a question or
task

WORDS WORTH KNOWING

General teaching suggestions are
provided in the Introduction

Page 47 - auditions

Pg. 42 Joan of Arc

Pg. 43 Troy
Pg. 44 Hiawatha, Mowgli,
Aladdin
Pg. 52 - Trinidad

Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins

STUDENT
S FIGURE
OUT THE
MEANIN
G
sufficie
nt
context
clues
are
provide

Pg.
Pg.
Pg.
Pg.
Pg.
Pg.

43
44
50
51
54
57

exploring
adventure
sparkling
stunning
fantastic
success

Pg. 49 dont know nothing

Pg. 53 imaginary

Created by Jenny Chow, Melody Russell, Carol Willard, Amy Hawkins