Analyzing

One of our standards is that students will analyze what they read. This is a BIG deal and takes deeper thinking and skill to do. It can be a challenge to have grade level materials and opportunities to authentically develop students' analyzing skills. Today, we had an amazing class lesson that did just that! Benchmark Literacy delivers!

Our goals were on the board. We also looked at how they related to the state standards. This is part of our learning routine.

We reviewed the details of a persuasive letter.

Using our "orange books", "Texts for Close Reading", we had the "original" article and two persuasive letters to the editor for building a new mall, and two persuasive letters to the editor for saving the park (against the building a mall).

the article "in the newspaper"

First, students reread.

Then, each group of three students was assigned one of the authors of a persuasive letter. They needed to write down the name, and their position, followed by collecting evidence

Next, each group met with the other group who shared their writer. Following a discussion about analysis, there is no "exact right or wrong answers" and an explanation of what sharing in the new group would be like, students shared their learning.

 

Finally, the students stood up to share their learning with the class. EVERY student participated and shared information.

There are days when you plan a lesson, prepare all the materials, mentally walk through the details trying to proactively prevent distractions and challenges, and the lesson flops. Royally. Leaving you to revisit the experience and look for ways to adjust and make changes for the future (and not the class next year, there is a responsibility to teach THIS YEAR's students the skills THIS YEAR).

Then there are the days when you have minimal time to prepare (the state paused testing until some details can be worked out), and you begin your lesson a step at a time, and it unfolds in an effective, thoughtful way, full of meaning, and meeting the learning objectives. Looking back, ANALYZING today's lesson ... it was a magical day of learning!