Thinking about Key Details

As the first cluster of standards for both literature and informational text fall under the umbrella of key ideas and details, it is clear that they are important concepts. But what exactly are the key details students should adhere to? In literature, the elements of narratives are delineated for primary grades, along with questioning. However, aren’t the details students need to highlight relative to the task? If students are trying to unpack the characters, then perhaps the most significant details would be different from those that depict the setting. And while significant plot points should reveal elements of the character, they may not give a complete picture. This got me thinking about how to teach key details so that we understand the gist of what we read, but also have clarity in dissecting different elements of what we read. Although the standards do not mention minor details, students must also be able to distinguish between the details that represent the crux of what they are examining and the cursory details that enhance the story. Perhaps we can examine stories with a whole-part-whole approach. What are the key details that disclose the plot? What details illuminate the characters? What details paint the setting? Which details support the theme? Were these details related to the plot, characters, setting, or all? Can we pull from those key details to determine the theme? Which details are key to answering text-dependent questions? Perhaps through our process of close reading, we can read for each purpose, map out the important details for each area, and then analyze how they cross over. Perhaps then, we could all develop more clarity! Below is an idea of how to organize a class chart examining these different elements. Of course, there are still key details to think about for informational text, but I will save that for another day!

Examining Key Details

Title of Story:

Focus	Plot/Events	Setting	Characters	Theme	Questions
Key Details

Understanding Genre

Common Core explicitly outlines different, yet overlapping standards for both literature and informational text. This is a significant change in focus, demanding us to evaluate how the two differ, how they overlap, and what types of text we are being called to use. The literature standards within Common Core relate to fictional works. Traditionally, we have spent a heavy emphasis on narrative stories. However, the multiple standards explicitly outline the use of poetry . The focus of using complex text allows us to open the doors to a variety of literature that will demand students to inspect the content and structure in depth. Fictional literature may include narratives, poems, letters, dramas, plays, and essays. Literature that is nonfiction is addressed in the informational text standards, and may include biographies, recipes, how-to books, facts books and so forth. Artwork and illustrations should also be examined as they can reveal information or a story.

Therefore, while we are teaching standards for literature and informational text that mirror each other, we must also be cognizant of strategically teaching the genres as they require different mindsets for reading. As shown in the table below, these genres have different text structures and features, which overlap and need to be made explicit for students. Although the literature and informational text standards are similar in many ways, the way students approach reading should depend on the type of text they are reading. A narrative is a story. A poem is a written piece with a sense of musicality and entrenched with literary devices. Dramas and plays involve conflict and are created with a performance in mind. Expository text tells information. Generally the primary purpose of a narrative is to entertain, the purpose of poetry is to describe, the purpose of a drama or play is to entertain, and the primary purpose of expository is to inform. Therefore, it is critical that educators explicitly teach students how to identify the genre they are reading and keep track of information based on that text’s structures and features.

Analysis of Genres

Genre	Literature: Narratives	Literature: Poetry	Literature: Drama/Plays	Informational Text: Expository
Definition	Story	A piece written with a sense of musicality	A story that is intended for performing that focuses on character dialogue & conflict	Non-fiction, informational text used to explain, describe, or inform
General Author’s Purpose	Entertain	Describe	Entertain	Inform
Structure	Beginning, Middle, End Paragraphs	Stanzas Can take on a shape	Beginning, Middle, End Dialogue	Description Sequence Compare/Contrast Cause/Effect Question/Answer Paragraphs
Features	Story Elements	Line Breaks, White Space	Story Elements	Topic & Supporting Details
Descriptive Literary Tools	Poetry features literary tools, however, they can be used in all types of Fictional Literature. These tools include rhythm, rhyme, repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, sensory images etc			Generally not used

Perception and the Truth

Many credit Lee Atwater with the quote, “Perception is reality.” And when viewing your own life, does this not ring true? One would never consider a turtle to be a speedy creature, but then again, that depends on who is doing the considering.

Perspectives have much to do with experiences, schema, and interpretation. Author’s bring their own unique perspectives to the texts they write. They select what they will reveal to the reader explicitly and implicitly, how the text will be organized, and how their point of view will be carried out. Often the author’s own ideas begin as incomplete thoughts, twisting and turning through the process of writing, changing and evolving until they come out the other side into a cohesive whole. At times, the characters of novels reveal themselves to the authors through the storytelling, and take on a life of their own, and yet, the author still has command over what will be revealed through the character’s dialogue, actions, and thoughts. Despite all this control, readers develop their own interpretation based upon the evidence within the text, but also their own personal perspectives. Other experiences with texts, the world, and other people affect how they view what the author reveals. Therefore, readers apply their own connections to develop their own perspective, but must also examine the evidence within the text to understand what the author directly reveals as well as infer to gain meaning from underlying messages, ideas, and themes.

Common Core emphasizes the importance of point of view, devoting standard six for Reading Literature and Informational Text to this concept. Why is it so significant? Understanding the role of point of view allows the reader to think critically about a piece. What are the author’s motives and purposes in writing a text? What context or historical background does the author emerge from? How does this affect the portrayal of events? Readers must understand the effects of their own perceptions and the author’s point of view in order to get at the truth of what they are reading. Even then, that gets us to a deeper question – what is the truth?

Unless…

“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” – The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

I have been thinking about the Lorax a lot lately. It is my son’s current favorite movie, and while he enjoys the music and finds humor throughout, I find myself mulling around the inherent messages of the movie (and the book) and how it could be used in the classroom. I love the complexity of the Once-ler in the movie.  As we watch the film, my son wonders if the Once-ler is bad. In the book, that seems a little more clear cut, but the movie offers background information of the Once-ler as a dreamer, a victim of his family, and one who endures despite the odds. However, he does indeed become “bad” as he become engulfed in the greed of money. Through contrition he sees redemption. We are also offered the comparison character of Mr. O’Hare, who creates an entire city deprived of the most essential element of life, air, so that he can profit. How do we define evil? When does someone cross the line? Can someone be both good and evil? How would you characterize the Once-ler in the movie vs. the book? Why do these perspectives vary? One of the greatest goals of Common Core is to get students to think deeply and analyze from multiple perspectives. Why not use movies to support this goal? I am not saying most lessons should entail film clips, but they are an engaging way of drawing students into the world of cognition. And, while we need to consider complex texts, the use of the arts (including paintings and music) can be equally intriguing. It seems to me that the appeal of the movie could work at multiple levels.

“Which way does a tree fall? A tree falls the way it leans. Be careful which way you lean.”
– The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

“Are they sad?” This is the question my three-year old consistently asks as the animals and the Lorax mourn the loss of the tree that the Once-ler just cut down. Although he can’t articulate how he knows they are sad, older students (such as first and second graders) can. As the Once-ler hums along pulling the tufts off the tree, lying about his acts, it is clear that he feels very differently than the animals. What clues do we see and hear that tell us how the different characters feel about the first Truffula Tree being cut down? (Text-dependent question) How and why do their points of view vary? (Understanding Point of View RL 6) How does your point of view of an event affect how you behave? (Big Idea Question) In the movie, the dialogue, music, and words used to convey their thoughts reveal how each character feels. This small five-minute clip could easily be viewed several times to analyze these questions from multiple perspectives. (Close Reading)

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
Nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

Contemplate this quote for a moment. What do you connect it to? What are your thoughts? What comes to your mind that needs change? How does this relate to our daily lives? Our current climate? How does this relate to history? Who do we know that worked to make “it” better?  The Lorax provides a lens for upper grades and beyond to delve into big ideas about change and making a difference.  What historical figures cared about transformation? How did they show that they cared? Does caring always lead to improvement? (What about those who care about negative changes?) How will you make a difference now? What issues affect your current lives that you can make better or change? (Bullying?) What are the consequences of not getting involved?

Before I exit my post for the week, I would like to leave you with one last quote to think about Common Core and –  in the spirit of The Lorax – our lives: “It’s not about what it is, it’s about what it can become.” 

Tiering Vocabulary

When considering the significance of language and words, it is  important to note the three-tiered analysis outlined in Appendix A of the Common Core State Standards. These tiers represent different types of words students need to grapple with, and although some are more complex than other, requiring more support, all types of words are important for students.

Tier one is everyday language that young learners develop. Although English Language Learners students will need support in this area, most native speakers naturally develop this category of words. Tier two, or general academic words, are words of precision that are found within and across texts. They are not specific to a particular area of study, but are exacting in their selection to convey a message. Teachers need to examine tier two words carefully in text, as they are often the least supported by instruction and often don’t have enough context clues to support their meaning. Tier three, or domain specific words, is particular to a field of study. Often found in expository text, they are often clearly defined and documented in a glossary. These are the technical terms students learn for a specific area of study. Students learn these words best over time when applied in multiple settings. Table 3 examines the gist of these three different categories of words. For a more in-depth analysis, Appendix A of Common Core Standards gives more examples of these types of words within context.

Synopsis of Three-Tier Leveled Words

Tier	One	Two	Three
Types of Words	Everyday Language	Vocabulary that is precise and more advanced	Language of the Discipline: Specific to a field of study
Examples	Sad, happy, angry	Devasted, elated, infuriated	Geologist, sedimentary, metamorphic

Splitting Hairs Part 2: Language of Common Core

Last week I examined the progression of central messages, lessons, morals, and themes in the second standard for reading literature. This week, I want to take a look at that same standard, but examine the the use of the following terms: retell, recount, and summary.

In kindergarten and first grade, students are to retell stories. In second and third grade, students are to recount stories, and in fourth and fifth grade, students are to summarize stories. Both retells and summaries are common formats in our educational system, but what is a recount? Let’s examine each one to determine how the three terms build in complexity.

According to Kissner (2006) retelling is when a student orally tells what is remembered about a text. Generally the retell is related to events. The retell is somewhat casual in its format and relies mostly on what the reader remembers. A summary is a more formal account of the text, can be both written and spoken, and must include the main ideas within the text and key events and details. Often a format for developing a summary includes a topic sentence with the title and author of the story, followed by a verb, and then is finished with the main idea. The rest of the summary includes other important main ideas throughout the text, or key details.

So, what is a recount? The term recount is more easily found in English and Australian publications. Recounts in those countries are a type of written account of a story that is in chronological order, includes the 5 W’s (who, what, why, where, and when), and has a concluding sentence. The format can be described as the orientation (introduction), series of events, and the re-orientation (conclusion). In short, a retell gives the experience of the story, a recount is a shortened experience of a story, and a summary is an explanation of the main ideas within a story.

In order to help support teachers in grappling with a recount, I have developed a brainstorm that follows the format as outline in Targeting Texts by Sue Stubbs. I have also included a retell checklist to support teachers in analyzing oral retells.

Through the process of unpacking the standards, I have found that language that I had previously taken for granted also needed unpacking. As we explore Common Core and its implications in our classroom, we must look with a new lens to make sure that we can find clarity in what we are teaching so that we really do benefit our students.

References

Kissner, E. (2006). Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Retelling Skills for Better Reading, Writing, and Test Taking. Heineman: Portsworth, NH.

Stubbs, S. (2000). Targeting Text. Blake Education: Sydney, NSW.