Analyzing Characters: Grade 4 Reading Unit 2

Analyzing Characters: Grade 4
Reading Unit 2
Unit Title: Analyzing Characters Duration: 4 weeks

Concepts:
1. Readers envision, predict, and make inferences about characters in the books they read.
2. Readers grow theories and gather evidence about characters.
3. Readers move from inference to interpretation.
4. Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.
Materials to be provided by the teacher: Professional Resources:
1. Pocket folders with blank reading logs for each 1. Units of Study for Teaching Reading: A
student Curriculum for the Reading Workshop, Grades
2. Reader’s notebooks 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters into
3. Sticky notes Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen Tolan
2. A Curricular Plan for the Reading Workshop,
Grade 4, 2011/2012, Lucy Calkins
3. Knee to Knee, Eye to Eye, Ardith Davis Cole
4. Teaching with Intention: Defining Beliefs,
Aligning Practice, Taking Action, Debbie Miller
5. Conferring with Readers: Supporting Each
Student’s Growth & Independence, Jennifer
Serravallo & Gravity Goldberg
6. Grades 3-6, Still Learning to Read: Teaching
Students in Grades 3-6, Franki Sibberson and
Karen Szymusiak
Materials to be produced by the teacher: Read-Aloud Texts:
1. Enlarged copies of the following anchor chart: 1. The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo
 Growing Theories about Characters 2. Stone Fox, by John Reynolds Gardiner
2. Individual copies of the following for each student:
 (Optional) Personal-sized anchor charts for
students who would benefit from having
their own copies
 My Daily Reading Log
 Growing Theories about Characters
Conferring Checklist
This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Revised 7/8/2013. Page 1
Reading Unit 2
Notes:
1. This second unit of study for fourth grade students focuses on building and growing theories about
characters. The teacher will read aloud one or two chapters from the book The Tiger Rising by Kate
DiCamillo each day. Each session is based on the reading for that day. Many sessions in this unit will refer
back to the text and provide opportunities to demonstrate the reading strategies that are a part of this unit.
The read-aloud text from Unit 1: Launching: Raising the Bar for Personal Narrative Stone Fox, by John
Reynolds Gardiner, will also be referenced in this unit. Feel free to substitute another rich text at your
discretion.
2. You will be recording your thoughts on sticky notes and in your own reader’s notebook as you read the book
The Tiger Rising as you will be using your own thoughts in the demonstration portion of these sessions.
3. Refer to the anchor chart(s) from Unit 1 as necessary.
4. Maintaining a daily reading log for reading at school and reading at home is essential to promote reading
growth. Continue to expect students to complete their daily reading logs throughout the year.
Accountability occurs when reading logs and books being read are out on the table every day during reading
time. Refer to students’ reading logs every day in conferences. Once or twice a month, encourage students
to study their own reading logs in order to find patterns in their reading habits.
5. You will notice that students are asked to read for 30 minutes during independent reading time. You might
want to adjust the amount of time for reading to suit your schedule.
6. When you confer with readers, you will want to observe them as they read, compliment them on something
that you notice they are doing as readers, and teach one new skill, strategy, or tip to help them grow as
readers. You might ask students to tell you about how reading is going for them. You will want to learn if
they are following the story, putting the pieces together, problem-solving when they don’t understand, etc.
in addition to the skills and strategies that students are learning each day in this unit.
7. Partnerships are crucial to success in reading. Comprehension skyrockets when students talk about their
books with others, even briefly. In partnerships, students have opportunities to build on others’ ideas and to
express their own ideas clearly and persuasively.
8. Partner relationships will shape your students’ experiences as readers throughout the year. It would be ideal
if both partners read the same books, progressing through the book together. This is especially true of the
most at-risk readers who will benefit as they co-construct their understandings, problem-solve together, and
share reading goals. However, partners can also take turns reading the same book or read different books
with the same character. Once partnerships are established, reading partners will meet to talk about their
books at the end of almost every session.
9. Provide students with composition books for use as reader’s notebooks, or have them bring their own from
home. Allow them time to personalize their notebooks at home or at school. You might want to have
students divide their notebooks with tabs to mark sections such as reading response, strategies,
observations, reflections, etc.
10. Students will use sticky notes almost every day and should have easy access to them. You might put sticky
notes on your supply list or indicate in your weekly parent notes that contributions for the classroom would
be appreciated.
11. Create permanent classroom anchor charts by adding new strategies as you go. If you choose to use a
document camera to share the anchor charts from this unit, also create classroom anchor charts so students
can refer to them later.
12. Use the Conferring Checklist located at the end of this unit.
13. Spend more than one day for a session if necessary.
14. A special thank you goes out to all authors of professional resources cited in this unit for their insights and
ideas.
Reading Unit 2
Overview of Sessions – Teaching and Learning Points Aligned with the Common Core
Concept: Readers envision, predict, and make inferences about characters in the books they read.
CCSS: RL.4.1, RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d
Session 1: Readers make mental movies and envision the characters as they read.
Session 2: Readers step inside the story and envision the main character’s world.
Session 3: Readers empathize deeply with characters by connecting with their experiences.
Session 4: Readers revise their mental images of characters as they read on and learn new information.
Session 5: Readers use their empathy for characters to make predictions.

Session 6: Readers predict not only what will happen, but how it will happen in the stories they read.
Concept: Readers grow theories and gather evidence about characters.
Session 7: Readers step outside of the story to help them grow ideas about the characters.
Session 8: Readers pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal what kind of people they are.
Session 9: Readers notice when characters act in surprising ways and consider what this reveals about them.
Session 10: Readers think carefully about the objects that characters hold close to their hearts.
Session 11: Readers pay attention to the ways in which other characters treat the main character.
Session 12: Readers use precise, exact words to describe characters and their actions.
Reading Unit 2
Concept: Readers move from inference to interpretation.
CCSS: RL.4.1, RL.4.2, RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d
Session 13: Readers search for patterns in their notes to push their thinking about characters.
Session 14: Readers keep their theories in mind as they continue reading.
CCSS: RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d
Session 15: Readers pay attention to characters’ motivations and struggles in stories.
Session 16: Readers develop complex ideas about characters by starting with a simple, obvious idea and pushing
themselves to think more deeply.
CCSS: RL.4.3, SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d
Session 17: Readers pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories.
Concept: Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.
Session 18: Readers use motifs to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story.
Session 19: Readers take time to analyze themselves as readers to determine their strengths and ways they want to
develop.
CCSS: SL.4.1, SL.4.1a, SL.4.1b, SL.4.1c, SL.4.1d
Reading Unit 2
Session 1
Concept Readers envision, predict, and make inferences about characters in the books they read.
Teaching Point Readers make mental movies and envision the characters as they read.
References Materials
 Units of Study for Teaching Reading: A  The Tiger Rising, by Kate DiCamillo
Curriculum for the Reading Workshop,  Anchor chart
Grades 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters  Growing Theories about Characters
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen  Personalized reader’s notebooks for each student
Tolan  Sticky notes
 A Curricular Plan for the Reading
Workshop, Grade 4, 2011/2012, Lucy
Calkins
Notes  Begin reading the chapter book The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo. Read one or two
chapters aloud each day. Read chapter 1 aloud prior to this session. You will be referring
back to this story throughout this reading unit.
 Have students bring their reader’s notebooks and a pencil to the meeting area.
Connection Readers, I want to tell you about a time when I was reading and the character in the book came to
life for me. I actually could see the character in the book that I was reading. (Share one of your
own experiences.) Today I want to teach you that if we read well, we envision the characters and
the scenes in the stories we read. We read the words and then we are right there! We see the
characters in the mental movie we are making.
Demonstration/  Reread an intense but brief section of your read-aloud book, and pause often to visualize,
Teaching describing what you see. If you are reading The Tiger Rising, begin with the first
paragraph in chapter one on page 1 and read through the first full paragraph on page 2.
 Explain that you are almost going to become Rob. We will see what he sees, as if we were
right there with him at the Kentucky Star Motel. To do this, we will have to fill in details
that are missing to help us envision him and create a movie in our minds. Imagine the
brilliant colors, the sounds, and the smells. The people and the actions become richer
when we use all of our senses to imagine the scenes. Comment in the following ways as
you read aloud and think aloud, adding your own details that bring the character to life:
 I can see …
 He is …
 I picture …
 I can hear …
 I can smell …
Record these prompts on a chart for student reference.
 Explain that as you read, you pause often to put yourself into the character’s shoes. It is as
if the words on the page are the script of the movie. You read them and then project
them into your mind. This way, as you read, you can see what Rob is seeing, doing, and
thinking.
 Begin an anchor chart, Growing Theories about Characters.
Active  Continue reading on page 2 through the fourth paragraph on page 3, this time pausing
Involvement often to prompt students to walk in the shoes of the character, seeing what Rob is seeing,
and thinking what Rob is thinking.
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 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Envisioning
and use one or two of the sentence starters in the demonstration portion of this session to
describe the mental movie in their minds. Have them include the title of the book, The
Tiger Rising, next to this entry. Allow up to five minutes for students to jot their ideas.
 NOTE: These notebook entries are meant to help students internalize the skills that are
included in this unit and to help prepare them for partnership conversations. The entries
are not meant to be lengthy until later in the unit.
 Have partnerships turn and talk about their notebook entries.
Link So readers, today you are going to get out your independent reading books and continue reading
where you left off last night. Remember, whenever you are reading, make sure you are seeing the
movie of the story in your mind and picturing yourself inside the scenes. Try to see what the
characters in your stories see, what they do, and what they think. As you read, use sticky notes to
mark especially powerful passages that you want to share with your partners. You will need to
take a moment to fill out your log when you get to your reading spot before you begin reading.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to continue making movies in their
Conferring minds and envisioning their characters.
 After students have been reading for a total of 30 minutes, have them record their reading
on their daily reading logs.
 Have students turn to one of the powerful passages in their books that they marked and
create an entry in their notebooks describing one of the mental movies they made.
 Have students include the title of their book next to this entry.
Partnerships  Have partnerships share their notebook entries and respond to each other’s ideas.
 Have one or two students share their notebook entries with the class.
Teaching Share  Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2
Growing Theories about Characters
 We make mental movies and envision the

characters as we read.
Reading Unit 2
Session 2
Teaching Point Readers step inside the story and envision the main character’s world.
Curriculum for the Reading Workshop,  Anchor chart:
Grades 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters Growing Theories about Characters
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen  Reader’s notebooks
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapter 2 in the story The Tiger Rising during the demonstration and active
involvement portion of this session.
Connection Readers, sometimes in stories, a character crosses a threshold into an imagined world, just like
Lucy did in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She pushes past the coats in the closet and
suddenly realizes that she has entered another world, the world of Narnia. When we read, we all
need to cross a kind of threshold, just like Lucy did. Today I want to teach you how we might see
the stories we are reading through the eyes of the main character, actually entering the world of
the story.
Demonstration/  Read aloud page 5 through the end of the first full paragraph in The Tiger Rising. As you
Teaching read, pause occasionally to step inside the story, to live within the scene. Emphasize the
words and the meaning behind the words that tell what is happening on the bus. Think
aloud what is happening as you become Rob and as you step inside the scene. You are
inside Rob’s world. Tell what you say, what you think, and how you feel.
 Explain how you not only could see what was happening, but you could also feel what was
happening in the story by stepping inside the scene and being the character.
 Refer to the anchor chart, Growing Theories about Characters.
Active  Explain that you are going to continue reading aloud to the end of chapter 2. Ask students
Involvement to step inside the story, to live within the scene as you read.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Stepping
inside the story and describe how they envision the character’s world. Have them include
the title of the book, The Tiger Rising, next to this entry.
Link So readers, today try to read your book like we have been reading The Tiger Rising. Try to
practically turn it into a play as you read. Try to be the main character. From now on, try to make
the stories come to life. Read as if it is all happening to you, act it out if you need to, as if you have
pushed past the coats and entered into the world of your story. Use sticky notes to mark places in
your reading where you stepped inside the story and envisioned your character’s world.
Remember that it is your job to complete your reading logs every time you read.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to read their independent reading
Conferring books as if they were stepping inside the story, living within the scenes.
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 Have students turn to the place in their reading where they stepped inside the story and
create a notebook entry that describes how they envisioned the world of the character.
You might suggest that they frame their notebook entries using the following prompts:
 When … happened …
 I could see …
 I could feel …
 I could imagine …
 Have one or two students share their notebook entries with the class.
teaching point.

 We step inside the story and envision
the main character’s world.
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Session 3
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Teaching Point Readers empathize deeply with characters by connecting with their experiences.
Grades 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters  Strategies Readers Use to Grow Ideas about
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen Characters
Tolan  Reader’s notebooks
 A Curricular Plan for the Reading  Sticky notes
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapter 3 in the story the Tiger Rising prior to this session.
 Have students bring their independent reading books, reader’s notebooks, and a pencil to
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, we have been envisioning what is happening the stories we are reading so that we are
almost in the character’s shoes. When we do this, we often find ourselves remembering times in
our lives when we lived through something similar. Today I want to teach you how our feelings
and insights from these experiences can help us connect with the character. When we connect
with the characters, we are showing empathy toward them.
Demonstration/  Reread aloud from the beginning of chapter 3 through the middle of page 9 in The Tiger
Teaching Rising. Think aloud how you connect and empathize with Sistine as she is getting teased
on the bus. Use the following prompts:
 This reminds me of …
 I remember feeling this way when …
 I know just how she feels …
 I understand …
Active  Have students look back into their independent reading books and find a place where they
Involvement their main character experienced something that reminded them of a similar experience.
Have them consider how this connection helps them to empathize with the character.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Connecting
and empathizing with characters and explain how a connection they make with a
character helps them to empathize with the character. Have them include the title of their
book next to this entry.
Link So readers, whenever you read, make sure that you are picturing and imagining what is happening
in the story and paying attention to places that remind you of times when you felt the same way or
the same thing happened to you. When you do this, you will see more and you will feel more as
you read. Use sticky notes to mark places in your reading where you find yourself using your own
experiences to connect and empathize with the characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to envision the scenes and use their
Conferring experiences to connect with the characters as they read their independent reading books.
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 Have students turn to the place in their reading where they used their own experiences to
connect with the character and create a notebook entry using one of the prompts.
 Have one or two students share with the class.
teaching point.

 We use our own experiences to help us
empathize with the characters.
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Session 4
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Teaching Point Readers revise their mental images of characters as they read on and learn new information.
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapter 4 in the story The Tiger Rising during the demonstration and active
Involvement portions of this session.
Connection Readers, we have been envisioning the characters and scenes in our stories and walking in our
character’s shoes. We have been connecting the events in stories with our own experiences. These
are the things that we are going to continue to do today and every day that we read. Today, I
want to teach you that readers not only see, hear, and imagine as they read, we also revise their
mental images of characters as they continue reading. Often the story provides details that push
us to change our thinking about what our characters are really like.
Demonstration/  Explain that you have a clear picture in your mind so far of Sistine from the story The Tiger
Teaching Rising. Sistine is a girl who has just moved to Lister, Florida. She appears to be shy and
nervous. She wears a pink lacy dress to school and is teased on the bus.
 Read aloud from the beginning of chapter 4 to the end of the last full sentence on page 11.
Explain that as Sistine comes into the classroom and begins talking to the class, she
portrays herself as rude. This is in contrast to our initial image of Sistine. Readers revise
their mental images as they encounter new information in a story.
Active  Continue reading from the bottom of page 11 through the second full paragraph on page
Involvement 12. Have students listen carefully and be ready to further revise their images about
Sistine.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Revising
our mental images and describe how their mental image of Sistine has changed (she is
snotty, angry, and a snob). Have them include the title of the book, The Tiger Rising, next
to this entry.
 Have students turn and talk about their notebook entries.
Link So readers, whenever you read, make sure that your mind is open to making revisions in your
mental images as you learn more and more about the characters in your books. As you read, the
story will likely provide new details that will cause you to revise your mental image of your
character. Use sticky notes to mark places in your reading where you find yourself revising your
mental images of your characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to be open to revising their mental
Conferring images of the characters as they read their independent reading books.
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 Have students turn to the place in their reading where they revised their mental movie or
image and create a notebook entry.
teaching point.

 We revise our mental images when we
read on and learn new information.
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Session 5
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Teaching Point Readers use their empathy for characters to make predictions.
Curriculum for the Reading Workshop,  Anchor charts:
Calkins
Note  Read aloud chapters 5 and 6 in the story The Tiger Rising during the demonstration and
active involvement portions of this session.
Connection Readers, we have been envisioning the characters in our stories and empathizing with them for the
past few days. This helps us to understand our characters more deeply. Today I want to teach you
that readers often use what they know about characters to predict, or anticipate, things that are
about to happen.
Demonstration/  Read aloud from the beginning of chapter 5 to the middle of page 16. Demonstrate how
Teaching you use your empathy for Rob to make a prediction about what decision he will make.
Use what you know about Rob and what is happening in the story to help you predict.
 Continue reading to the end of the chapter to determine the accuracy of your prediction.
Active  Read aloud from the beginning of chapter 6 to the end of the third paragraph on page 19.
Involvement Ask students to use what they know about Sistine and their empathy for her to predict
what she will do next.
 Have partnerships turn and talk about their predictions using the following prompts:
 I think …
 I predict …
 Have one or two students share their predictions with the class.
 Continue reading to the end of the chapter and have students reflect on the accuracy of
their predictions.
 Explain that readers carry predictions with them, looking for confirmation and yet realizing
that they might be surprised as they continue reading.
Link So readers, whenever we read, we want to be the kind of readers who walk in the shoes of the
characters in our books and empathize with them. When we really know our characters and care
about them, we find ourselves predicting and wondering about what will happen next. Remember
to take a minute to get yourselves ready for reading. Record in your logs and remind yourselves
where you left off in your stories. Begin by thinking about your character and making a prediction
about what you think might happen next in your story. Then, continue to make predictions about
not only the big things, but also the little things, as you read. Use sticky notes to mark places in
your reading where you find yourself making a prediction.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to make predictions as they read their
Conferring independent reading books.
 Have students turn to the place in their reading where they made a prediction and create
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a notebook entry.
 Have students include the heading Using empathy to make predictions at the top of the
page and the title of their book next to this entry.
teaching point.

 We use our empathy for characters to
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This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Revised 7/8/2013.
make predictions.
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Session 6
Reading Unit 2
Teaching Point Readers predict not only what will happen, but how it will happen in the stories they read.
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapter 7 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session and chapter 8
during the demonstration portion of this session.
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, in the past few days, we have been learning the work of stepping into our character’s
shoes and envisioning the world of the story, predicting what will happen next. These are the
things that strong readers do all the time. But in order to envision and prediction with strength,
strong readers also pay attention to the details in the stories they read. This will help us predict
not only what will happen but also how it will happen.
Demonstration/  Read aloud and think aloud, paying special attention to the details as you read the first
Teaching paragraph in chapter 8 on page 26 in the story the Tiger Rising. Invite students to use
these details to make a prediction about what Rob’s father will say about the note from
the principal and how he will react. Explain that meaningful predictions are based on all
that we know about the characters. Students shouldn’t make their predictions based on
what their own dad might say and do in the same situation. Remind students to think
about what they know about Rob’s dad, how he is not very emotional, yet he wants to be
a good parent.
 Have partnerships share their predictions.
 Continue reading through the fourth paragraph on page 27. Have students reflect on their
predictions with their partners.
 Explain how the details really pull you in and help you envision and predict with strength.
When you start to think of characters as real people, it is easier to imagine what they
might do.
Active  Have students look back into their independent reading books and think of the characters
Involvement as real people. Then have them make a prediction about what might happen next in their
stories and how it will happen.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Predicting
what will happen and how and then record a prediction that tells not only what will
happen next but how it will happen. Have them include the title of their book next to this
entry.
Link So readers, whenever you really pay attention to the details in a story, you are not only able to
envision and predict, you also often find yourself lost in a book. We want to pay attention to the
little things about the way a character dresses, talks, acts, or moves. This helps us know the
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characters better and predict what they might do next. Mark a place in your reading where you
are really paying attention to the details, or where you find yourself lost in the story.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to the details in
Conferring their independent reading books to help them predict what they think might happen and
how it might happen.
 Have students turn to the place in their reading where they made a prediction and create
a notebook entry about what they think might happen and how it will happen.
 Have students include the title of their book next to their entry.
teaching point.

make predictions.
 We predict not only what will happen but
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how it will happen.

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Session 7
Concept Readers grow theories and gather evidence about characters.
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Teaching Point Readers step outside of the story to help them grow ideas about the characters.
Calkins
Note  Read aloud chapters 13 and 14 in the story The Tiger Rising during the demonstration and
active involvement portions of this session.
Connection Readers, I have noticed that when you talk with your partners about your books, you have lots of
ideas about what the characters are doing and why they are doing these things. You are really
starting to explore your books in more thoughtful ways. Today we are going to make an important
shift in our reading lives. I want to teach you that readers not only step inside the story, identifying
with the characters and feeling lost in the story, but they also pull back and step outside the story
to help them grow ideas about the characters in our books.
Demonstration/  Explain that the class is going to continue to read and get lost in our books, but then we
Teaching will stop, step outside the story, think, and grow smart ideas about the characters. We are
going to do this work in the same way that we listen in on, think about, and grow ideas
about the people in our lives. Ask students if they ever overheard a conversation but
listened quietly, full of ideas, eager to react, but saving up things to talk about later?
When we read, it is like we are peeking in on the scene in our character’s life, and we are
full of all these ideas about what the character is like, bursting to talk about them.
 Whether we are reading a book aloud together during read-aloud time, or alone during
independent reading, reading is definitely like that overheard conversation because we
can’t talk as we read. We need to sit quietly, saving up the things we want to say about
the book, holding onto our ideas for a little while. Then, after reading for a bit, we talk to
someone about our thoughts.
 Demonstrate by reading aloud chapter 9, getting lost in the story, pulling back, and
stepping outside the story to talk about your ideas. Start at the beginning of the chapter
and read through the second full paragraph on page 33.
 Think-aloud how Rob is getting started with his day:
 It is raining and Rob remembers that the day of his mother’s funeral was sunny. He
doesn’t care if the sun never shines again. He cried but his father told him not to cry
about his mother’s death. He is still mourning his mother’s death, yet his father
doesn’t want him to show his emotions. This must be very difficult for Rob, holding
back his feelings and having them build up inside him.
Active  Continue reading from where you left off. Stop reading at the end of the third paragraph
Involvement on page 34. Remind students to listen so closely that they will be bursting with things to
say about Rob’s father.
 Form groups of four by putting two partnerships together and have students share their
ideas about Rob’s father using the following prompts to talk about him just like they talk
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about the people in their own lives:
 I can’t believe that he …
 Why did he …
 I bet it’s because …
 Or maybe …
 Listen in and encourage students to say more, to listen to each other, to add on, push
themselves to think more deeply about Rob’s father, etc.
 Be careful to let the students continue their discussion as you listen in and resist
interrupting to encourage students to grow their own ideas.
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, step inside your stories and pay close attention to
the characters. Since you won’t have a chance right away to talk about your stories, record your
ideas about the characters in your books on sticky notes. Then, at the end of reading time, step
outside of the story to help you grow ideas about your characters. Your sticky notes and your
notebook entries will help you grow theories about your characters and plan for the conversations
that you will soon have with your partners.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to the characters
Conferring in their stories, then step outside their stories to help them grow smart ideas about what
the characters are really like.
We make mental movies and envision the


 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes and push
their thinking to grow their ideas using the prompts listed above and then adding the
following to their ideas:
 This makes me think that …
 Have students include the heading Stepping outside of the story to grow an idea and the
title of their book next to this entry.
Partnerships  Have partnerships share their notebook entries and theories and respond to each other
about the ideas they are growing about their characters.

teaching point.


make predictions.
how it will happen.

 We step outside of the story to help us Page 24
grow ideas about the characters.

Reading Unit 2
Session 8
Reading Unit 2
Teaching Point Readers pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal what kind of people they are.
Calkins
Note  Read aloud chapter 10 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
Connection Readers, in our lives, we all know people who are really good at reading other people. They can
look at what a person does, and tell what this might say about that person. (Relate a personal
experience.) In the same way that we can often “read” people in real life, we can also read people
in stories. To read people – in life and in stories – it is important to remember that actions can be
windows to what a person is really like. We can pause after a character has done something in a
story and say, “Let me use what just happened as a window to help me understand this person.”
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how you pay close attention to the actions of Willie May in the story, The
Teaching Tiger Rising as you reread aloud the first page of chapter 10 through the fourth paragraph
on page 35. Think-aloud how Willie May is talking to Rob and giving him a piece of her
mind:
 Willie May is really something. She collapses into that chair and talks about how she
would rather clean up after pigs than people. Maybe she has had a bad day. Maybe
she has had some bad encounters with people. Maybe she is the kind of person who
stands up for herself. She talks about respect. Rob, on the other hand, lets people
bully him. Maybe Willie May is a lot tougher than Rob. Characters, like people, make
choices. It sometimes helps to keep in mind the choices that a character might have
made, but didn’t. Willie May might have ignored Rob or greeted him in a friendly way.
 Point out the strategies you used to grow ideas about Willie May:
 I notice Willie May’s actions and then think about the choices she made.
 I think that Willie May’s actions might fit a pattern. She seems like the kind of person
who says what is on her mind, who doesn’t hold back.
 I know that I will need to read on to see if my theory is correct. I will be open to
revising my theory about Willie May if I learn something new. I want to avoid thinking
of her in only one way.
Active  Continue reading from where you left off. Stop reading at the end of the sixth paragraph
Involvement on page 37. Remind students to listen closely and try to read Willie May’s actions so they
will be bursting with things to say about her.
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their ideas about what Willie May’s
actions reveal about her as a person.
themselves to think more deeply about Willie May, etc.
Reading Unit 2
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, pay close attention to the actions of the
characters and think about what these actions reveal about them as people. Record your ideas
about the characters in your books on sticky notes as you read. Then, at the end of reading time,
you will have a chance to step outside of the story and push yourselves to grow ideas about your
characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to the actions of
Conferring the characters in their stories to help them grow smart ideas about what these actions
reveal about them as people.
 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes and then
further push their thinking to grow their ideas using the following prompt:
 Have students include the heading Characters’ actions reveal something about them and
the title of their book next to this entry.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

 We step inside the story and envision the
main character’s world.
 We revise our mental images when we read
on and learn new information.
make predictions.
how it will happen.
 We step outside of the story to help us
grow ideas about the characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions
that reveal what kind of people they are.
Reading Unit 2
Session 9
Teaching Point Readers notice when characters act in surprising ways and consider what this reveals about them.
Calkins
Note  Read aloud chapters 11 and 12 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
Connection Readers, yesterday we learned how important it is to “read” characters by paying attention to the
character’s actions. We tried to build a theory about Willie May, but at the same time tried to
avoid thinking of her in only one way. Today I want to emphasize that it is important to keep in
mind that characters are complicated. They are not just one way. Here is a key point: To grow
complex ideas about characters, it helps to think deeply about times when characters act in
surprising ways, or act out of character, and consider what this reveals about them.
Demonstration/  Explain that your theory about Sistine is that she seems angry and mean. Ask students to
Teaching listen carefully as you read aloud the section where Rob and Sistine talk in Rob’s room at
the Kentucky Star. Have them pay attention to times when Sistine acts in a surprising way,
or out of character. If that happens, we might ask ourselves what is motivating Sistine and
what this shows about a side of Sistine we have never realized was there.
 Reread aloud the second through the fifth paragraph on page 44 in chapter 12. Think
aloud how Sistine acted in a surprising way when she studied Rob’s carvings and what this
reveals about her (she was kind to him, she believed him, she complimented him … maybe
she has a kind heart after all, maybe she has a reason to be angry, maybe she is a lot like
Rob).
Active  Continue reading from where you left off on page 44 through the second full paragraph on
Involvement page 45. Ask students to listen closely for when Sistine acts in a surprising way and think
about what this reveals about her.
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their ideas about how Sistine acts
in a surprising way and what this reveals about her.
themselves to think more deeply about Sistine, etc.
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, pay close attention to times when a character acts
in a surprising way – when he or she acts out of character. Think about what these actions reveal
about them as people. Record your ideas about the characters’ actions in your books on sticky
notes as you read. Then, at the end of reading time, you will have a chance to step outside of the
story and push yourselves to grow ideas about your characters
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to times when
Conferring characters act in surprising ways and consider what this reveals about them.
Reading Unit 2
 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes, describe a
time when a character acted in a surprising way, and push themselves to grow a theory
about what these actions reveal about the character using the following prompt:
 Have students include the heading Characters act in surprising ways and the title of their
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

 We step inside the story and envision the main
character’s world.
 We revise our mental images when we read on
and learn new information.
 We use our empathy for characters to make
predictions.
 We predict not only what will happen but how it
will happen.
 We step outside of the story to help us grow
ideas about the characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions that
reveal what kind of people they are.
 We notice when characters act in surprising
ways and consider what this reveals about them.
Reading Unit 2
Session 10
Teaching Point Readers think carefully about the objects that characters hold close to their hearts.
Calkins
Connection Readers, yesterday we learned how important it is to pay attention to times when a character acts
in a surprising way. We try to avoid thinking of characters in only one way so that we can
recognize when our theories about these characters seem to change. Today I want to teach you
that it is important to also pay attention to the objects that our characters hold dear to help us
learn even more about them. Those objects are also a window into the mind and heart of our
characters. The possessions that characters keep close almost always reveal something important
about them.
Demonstration/  Explain that Rob carves objects out of wood, a skill that his mother taught him before she
Teaching died. Explain that you first think about what objects Rob keeps close and then what does
this make you think about him.
 Rob keeps little figures that he whittled out of wood. Rob is nervous and proud when
Sistine first sees the figures (page 43). These figures are probably important because
his mother taught him how to whittle. Maybe they help him feel close to his mother.
Rob seems like a lonely character. Maybe these figures help him feel less lonely.
 Remind students how you first thought about the object and then thought about what it
seems to suggest about the characters.
Active  Explain that students will have a chance to think and talk about something that Sistine
Involvement holds close to her heart … her name:
 Sistine likes her name and feels that it is special (page 58). Maybe her name reminds
her of happier times because her parents met at the Sistine Chapel. Maybe she loves
art because of her name.
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their ideas about what Sistine’s
name, and the way she holds it close to her heart, seems to reveal about her.
themselves to think more deeply about Sistine, etc.
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, pay close attention to the objects that the
characters hold close to their hearts. Think about what these objects seem to reveal about them.
Record your ideas about the objects that the characters in your books hold close on sticky notes as
you read. Then, at the end of reading time, you will have a chance to step outside of the story and
push yourselves to grow ideas about your characters.
Reading Unit 2
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to the objects
Conferring that characters hold close to their hearts and what they reveal about the characters.
 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes and push
themselves to grow ideas about what the objects that characters hold close reveal about
them using the following prompt:
 Have students include the heading The objects that characters hold close and the title of
their book next to this entry.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

 We make mental movies and envision the characters as
we read.
 We use our own experiences to help us empathize with
the characters.
 We revise our mental images when we read on and
learn new information.
 We use our empathy for characters to make
predictions.
 We predict not only what will happen but how it will
happen.
 We step outside of the story to help us grow ideas
about the characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal
what kind of people they are.
 We notice when characters act in surprising ways and
consider what this reveals about them.
 We think carefully about the objects that characters
hold close to their hearts.
Reading Unit 2
Session 11
Teaching Point Readers pay attention to the ways in which other characters treat the main character.
Curriculum for the Reading Workshop,  Stone Fox, by John Reynolds Gardiner
Grades 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters  Anchor charts:
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen  Growing Theories about Characters
Calkins
Notes  Make up to six copies of each of pages 5, 12, 15, 33, and 35 from the story the Tiger Rising
for use in the active involvement portion of this session. This will be 30 copies altogether.
Adjust this number for the number of students in your class.
 Read aloud chapters 15 and 16 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
Connection Readers, yesterday we learned that the objects characters hold close to their hearts often reveal
something important about them. Today I am going to teach you that when readers want to think
deeply about a character, we can examine the ways that other people treat the character, looking
especially for patterns of behavior. We not only notice how other characters treat and view the
main character, but we also notice what others call the character, and the voice and body
language people use around that character.
Demonstration/  Use the book, Stone Fox, to demonstrate what we can learn about our main characters if
Teaching we pay attention to the ways in which other characters treat them. In the book, Stone
Fox, we can notice the ways in which the characters treat Little Willy:
 At the end of the story, Stone Fox helps Willy win the race. This is a really important
action, and very out of character for Stone Fox. He is a man who has won every race
he has entered to win money to buy his people’s land back. Then he helps Willy beat
him in a race. Instead of asking myself what this says about Stone Fox, I am going to
ask myself what it makes me think about Willy. Remember that we can grow ideas
about our main character by noticing how the other characters behave toward him.
That scene makes me think that Willy is not like other people Stone Fox has met. For
one thing, Willy is a strong opponent. Stone Fox is probably surprised that a young boy
with one dog is so fast. He understands how much hard work and determination it
took to get that good. Other characters in the story also treat Willy with respect, even
when they disagree with him.
Active  Explain that students will have a chance to talk about how the characters in the book, The
Involvement Tiger Rising, treat Rob. Distribute to each partnership a short excerpt from the book of
various interactions between Rob and the other characters (page 5, the Threemonger
boys; page 12, Sistine; page 15, the principal; page 33, Rob’s dad; page 35, Willie May).
Have partnerships discuss their ideas about how the other characters treat Rob and what
this suggests about Rob (doesn’t stand up for himself, vulnerable, weak, lacks confidence).
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their ideas about how the different
Reading Unit 2
characters treat Rob. Have groups look for patterns in the way that several characters
treat the main character.
themselves to think more deeply about Rob, etc.
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, pay close attention to the ways the other
characters treat the main character in the books that you are reading. Think about what this
reveals about them. Record your ideas about how other characters treat the main character on
sticky notes as you read. Then, at the end of reading time, you will have a chance to step outside
of the story and push yourselves to grow ideas about your characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay close attention to the ways in
Conferring which other characters treat the main character in the books they are reading.
 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes about the
ways in which other characters treat the main character and what this reveals about them
using the following prompt:
 Have students include the heading How other characters treat the main character and the
title of their book next to this entry.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

 We make mental movies and envision the characters as we
read.
 We use our own experiences to help us empathize with
the characters.
 We revise our mental images when we read on and learn
new information.
 We use our empathy for characters to make predictions.
 We predict not only what will happen but how it will
happen.
 We step outside of the story to help us grow ideas about
the characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal what
kind of people they are.
 We think carefully about the objects that characters
hold close to their hearts.
 We pay attention to the ways in which other characters
Reading Unit 2
Session 12
Teaching Point Readers use precise, exact words to describe characters and their actions.
Calkins
Connection Readers, all of you are pushing yourselves to grow important theories about your characters.
Today I want to teach you a technique that readers use to help us use just the right words to grow
wise and sophisticated ideas about our characters. Specifically, I want to teach you that it can help
to try to reach for the precise, exact words to describe your characters and their actions.
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how you choose precise and exact words to talk about Sistine. Reread aloud
Teaching beginning with the third paragraph on page 51 through the sixth paragraph on page 52.
 Explain how you first describe Sistine and her actions, and then how you reach for precise,
exact words to describe Sistine and her actions. This helps you think more deeply about
what Sistine is really like:
 First: Sistine is bossy. She seems to order Rob around a lot. The tiger isn’t hers. It’s
not even her discovery. Yet she talks about what she and Rob should do with it as if
the tiger – and the decision – belong to her.
 Then: The word bossy isn’t the most precise word I could use. I rewind and think more
carefully about her behavior. Sistine is not only bossy; she is also controlling, and
maybe feisty. She is also passionate. She is fighting for that tiger with all her might.
She is really determined. She actually reminds me of Willy in Stone Fox. Sistine wants
to save the tiger. She wants to set him free. Sistine is on a mission.
Active  Continue reading from where you left off and stop at the last paragraph on page 53. Ask
Involvement students to think about precise, exact words which describe Rob and his actions.
 Have partnerships turn and talk using precise, exact words that tell what Rob is really like.
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their ideas about Rob.
Link So readers, when you read today and every day, reach for the most precise, exact words that you
can to describe your characters and their actions. Record your ideas about the characters in your
books on sticky notes using precise, exact words as you read. Then, at the end of reading time, you
will have a chance to step outside of the story and push yourselves to grow ideas about your
characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to choose the most precise, exact words
Conferring to describe their characters and their actions in the books they are reading.
Reading Unit 2
 Have students create a notebook entry using one or more of their sticky notes and pushing
their thinking using precise, exact words to grow ideas about their characters.
 Have students include the heading Using precise, exact words and the title of their book
next to this entry.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

read.
 We step inside the story and envision the main character’s
world.
 We use our own experiences to help us empathize with the
characters.
 We revise our mental images when we read on and learn new
information.
 We predict not only what will happen but how it will happen.
 We step outside of the story to help us grow ideas about the
characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal what kind
of people they are.
 We think carefully about the objects that characters hold
close to their hearts.
 We use precise, exact words to describe our characters and
their actions.
Reading Unit 2
Session 13
Concept Readers move from inference to interpretation.
Teaching Point Readers search for patterns in their notes to push their thinking about characters.
 A Curricular Plan for the Reading  Several pages of plain 8 ½ X 11” paper for each
Workshop, Grade 4, 2011/2012, Lucy student
Calkins
Notes  Make copies of the student page that follows this session for each partnership.
 Read aloud chapters 19 and 20 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
 Have students bring a pencil to the meeting area.
Connection Readers, we have all been jotting sticky notes as we have been reading our books and learning
about the characters. Some of your books are overflowing with great ideas! Today we are going
to take some time to organize our thoughts by sorting our sticky notes into piles of ideas that seem
to go together. In this way, we will look at the notes we have taken with new eyes.
Demonstration/  Explain that you are going to flip through your read-aloud book and write the page
Teaching numbers for each of your sticky notes.
 As you do this, explain that your own book reminds you of a drawer in your kitchen. It is
full of stuff and it is hard to see what is in there. It needs reorganizing. If you put all the
pens and markers in one container, and all the coupons in another, and all the paper clips
and rubber bands in another, your drawer will be organized. You search for things that go
together. You might also find some important things that you had forgotten were there.
 Explain that the same thing happens with the sticky notes that are filling our independent
reading books. We sometimes forget what ideas we have jotted on our sticky notes. It is
smart to take a tour of our thinking, of our sticky notes, and then to sort our thoughts
when we get about halfway through our books. One way to do this is to sort our sticky
notes into piles of ideas that seem to go together. Demonstrate how you do this by pulling
out your sticky notes and displaying them on chart paper so the students can see them.
Think aloud as you put sticky notes together that have something in common. You are
searching for patterns in your ideas. Group related sticky notes on single pages of plain
paper.
 You might use or recreate the teacher page of sticky notes that follows this session for
demonstration purposes. The student page is for use during active involvement. Post the
following prompts to push your thinking and create a theory about the character:
 This is important because …
 This makes me realize that …
 The bigger idea here is that …
 Explain that often the big idea, or theory, involves more than one character.
Active  Distribute the student page of sticky notes and explain that students will have a chance to
Reading Unit 2
Involvement create a theory using a different set of sticky notes.
 Have partnerships discuss how some of these sticky notes connect and have them work
together to push their thinking and create their own theory.
 Reconvene the groups of four and have students share their theories.
 Listen in and encourage students to say more, to listen to each other, to add on, to push
Link So readers, today if you are at least halfway through your independent reading books, you will
begin by writing the page numbers of each of your sticky notes. Then, put them all on the surface
of your desk, look for sticky notes that seem to go together, and place each group on a plain sheet
of paper. Leave a place at the bottom where you can write a theory you have about this group of
sticky notes. Fill up more than one page and push yourself create more than one theory. Put any
leftover sticky notes on a page by themselves. If you are not halfway through your independent
reading books, continue reading today and record your ideas about the characters in your books on
sticky notes using precise, exact words.
Reading and Growing Theories about Characters
 Conduct table conferences to encourage students to organize their sticky notes and push
Conferring their thinking to create theories about their characters.
 We make mentalhave
After students movies andforenvision
been reading the characters
a total of 30 minutes, have them recordastheirwe
reading
read.  Have students who have continued reading create a notebook entry using one of their
 We step stickyinside
notes andthe story
pushing and envision
their thinking the main
to grow their ideas. character’s
Have students who have been
organizing their sticky notes create a notebook entry stating one of their theories and
world. pushing their thinking to grow their ideas.
 We useHave our owninclude
students experiences tobook
the title of their help usthisempathize
next to entry. with the
characters.about the ideas they are growing about their characters.

 We revise Have one our mental
or two students images
share with thewhen
class. we read on and learn new
information.
teaching point.
 We useNote: ourHaveempathy for
students keep theircharacters to folded
pages of sticky notes make andpredictions.
tucked inside their
reader’s notebook.
characters.
of people they are.
 We use precise, exact words to describe our characters Page
and42
their actions.
 We search for patterns in our notes to push our thinking.
Reading Unit 2
Reading Unit 2
Sticky notes from The Tiger Rising

Teacher Copy
It is good that
Rob experiences
Willy May is telling
freedom when his
Rob to let the
dad lets him drink
sadness rise up. It
coffee and stay
might help him.
home from school.
Rob seems to be
rising, like in the Rob and his dad
title, “The Tiger both seem to be
Rising.” opening up, but
then they stop
themselves.
Theory:
Reading Unit 2
Sticky notes from The Tiger Rising

Student Copy
Rob’s dad tells

Rob stands up for
him he shouldn’t
Sistine, which
cry or talk about
shows he isn’t
his mom.
totally wimpy.
Rob likes to
whittle and make Rob tells Sistine
wooden figures. his mother died
after she shares
her secrets with
him.
Theory:
Reading Unit 2
Session 14
Teaching Point Readers keep their theories in mind as they continue reading.
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapters 21 and 22 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, just a few days ago, we learned how to make predictions, and then we learned to keep
our predictions in mind as we read, looking for places that confirmed our thinking or contradicted
it. We don’t just make predictions and then forget that we ever made them. Today I want to teach
you that the same holds true for the theories we have been growing about our characters. Each
day we read, it is important to keep our theories in mind as we continue reading, looking for
information that might continue to grow, or else change, our thinking.
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how this works using one of the theories that you created about one of the
Teaching characters in the book The Tiger Rising. You might find that you are growing an idea or
that you are revising it. The key is flexibility. You might have made a theory about Rob
near the beginning of the book like this:
 Rob is wimpy.
After reading on, you paid attention to new information you found as you continued
reading. You might revise your theory like this:
 Rob isn’t really wimpy, he just doesn’t stand up for himself because he keeps all his
feelings closed up tight and doesn’t think about them.
Active  Have students look back into their independent reading books or their pages of sticky
Involvement notes and think about one idea they had early in their books about their characters. Have
them think about whether their idea about this character changed later in the story or if
they understand better now why the character acted in a certain way.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Keeping
Our Theories in Mind as We Read and explain how their ideas might have changed from
the ideas they had earlier in their stories.
Link So readers whenever you are reading, stop to reread your notes about halfway through your story
to come up with a theory about your character. When you read on, keep your theory in mind as
you gather new information that either supports your theory or contradicts it. Your first theory is
probably not your final one, but it is a starting place. Keep your theories in mind as you read. You
will probably add more to your theory or change it so that it is even stronger. Today you will
continue reading and continue jotting your ideas about the characters in your books on sticky notes
Reading Unit 2
using precise, exact words. Remember to keep your theories in mind as you read.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to keep their theories in mind as they
Conferring continue to read and gather more information.
 Have students create a notebook entry, noting how they have kept a theory in mind as
they read and how their initial ideas about their character may have grown or changed.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2

read.
 We step inside the story and envision the main character’s
world.
characters.
information.
characters.
of people they are.
 We use precise, exact words to describe our characters and
their actions.
 We keep our theories in mind as we continue reading.
Reading Unit 2
Session 15
Teaching Point Readers pay attention to characters’ motivations and struggles in stories.
Curriculum for the Reading Workshop,  Stone Fox, by John Reynolds Gardiner
Grades 3-5, Book 2: Following Characters  Anchor charts:
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen  Growing Theories about Characters
Calkins
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, we have been working hard, trying our best to grow ideas about the characters in our
stories. Something that is important to remember when we do this work is to consider what we
already know about how stories tend to go. The main character either tries to solve a problem or
to reach a goal. Either way, the character faces a struggle and is motivated to overcome obstacles
related to his struggle. Today I want to teach you that one way to develop a theory about a
character is to pay attention to the character’s motivations and struggles along the way.
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how this works by referring back to the text, Stone Fox. You might first
Teaching remind students that the main character, Willy, wants to save his grandfather and the
farm. This is what motivates him. Invite students to identify some obstacles that get in
the way and how he deals with them:
 Grandfather lost his voice … Willy uses hand signals.
 Willy needs money to save the farm … He uses his savings and enters the race.
 Explain that characters have to use what is inside of them, what they are like in the inside,
to overcome obstacles. By watching how Willy deals with his problems, we find out Willy
is like on the inside. Guide students to understand that Willy keeps trying, he never gives
up, and he is persistent, determined, and brave.
Active  Have students look back into their own independent reading books and consider their
Involvement characters’ motivations, struggles, and ways they respond to their struggles. This will help
them to think more deeply about their characters.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Character
motivations and struggles and explain how their characters respond to their struggles.
Link So readers whenever you read, remember to notice what motivates your characters – what drives
them to do things – and also the ways that they respond to their struggles. Remember that
characters, like real people, don’t always know right away what is best for them. In fact, often that
is part of their journey. They need to struggle to figure something out, and along the way their
wants and goals might change. Your characters might change. And you might change your ideas
about your character. Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas about the
characters in your books on sticky notes using precise, exact words. Remember to pay close
Reading Unit 2
attention to your characters’ motivations, struggles, and the ways they respond to their struggles.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to pay attention to characters’
Conferring motivations and how they overcome their struggles as they continue to read and gather
more information.
 Have students create a notebook entry, or add information to one of their entries, using
one or more of their sticky notes about their characters’ motivations, struggles, and
responses to their struggles to help them grow strong ideas about their characters.
teaching point.
 We make mental movies and envision the characters as we read.

 We step inside the story and envision the main character’s world.
characters.
information.
characters.
 We pay attention to characters’ actions that reveal what kind of
people they are.
 We notice when characters act in surprising ways and consider
what this reveals about them.
 We think carefully about the objects that characters hold close
to their hearts.
 We pay attention to the ways in which other characters treat the
main character.
 We use precise, exact words to describe our characters and their
actions.
 We pay attention to characters’ motivations and struggl es.
Reading Unit 2
Session 16
Reading Unit 2
Teaching Point Readers develop complex ideas about characters by starting with a simple, obvious idea and
pushing themselves to think more deeply.
Calkins
Notes  Read aloud chapter 25 in the story The Tiger Rising prior to this session.
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, we have been growing theories about the characters in the books we have been reading.
As I listen in on your conversations and look over your notes, I see that some of you are making
theories that are pretty obvious. In the books we have been reading together, we know that Willy
really wants to win the race, and we know that Rob is getting bullied. Those are simple ideas that
are basic to the stories. We could read on and on, searching for evidence that Willy is trying and
trying and that Rob is getting bullied, but these ideas are really just starting points – kind of like the
rungs on a ladder. They are important, but they don’t help us create complex ideas about our
characters. Today I want to teach you that a simple, obvious idea about a character or a book is a
great place to start, even if your goal is a complex idea. Readers sometimes take that starting idea
and climb to high levels of thinking. It helps to use phrases as thought prompts to help us climb
higher and higher.
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how you start with a simple, obvious idea and use the following prompts to
Teaching grow a theory that is complex and original:
 This is really important because …
 A stronger word to describe this is …
 I remember earlier in the story when …
 Maybe this is because …
 Or it could be …
 But what about …
 Reread beginning at the top of page 100 through the fifth paragraph in the Tiger Rising.
This is where Rob and Sistine are asking Willie May what they should do about the tiger.
 Think-aloud how you at first see how mean Sistine is to Rob. Then, you refer to the list of
prompts and see if you can use them to push your thinking, as follows:
 I remember earlier in the story when … Sistine was always acting mean. Back then, I
think she acted mean because she was nervous about being in a new school. I wonder
why she is acting mean now.
 Maybe this is because … she is also scared now. I know if someone told me that my
dad was never coming back, I would be scared, too. I’m beginning to think that Sistine
is the kind of person who acts mean when she feels really frightened.
Reading Unit 2
Refer to the anchor chart, Growing Theories about Characters.
Active Have students look back into their own independent reading books and look for a sticky
Involvement note that states a simple, obvious idea. Have students use the prompts to push their
thinking to create a more complex theory about their character.
 Have students stop and jot in their notebooks. Have them record the heading Using
Prompts to Develop Complex Ideas and use the prompts to create more complex theories
about their characters.
Link So readers whenever we read, we want to be the kind of readers who push ourselves to grow
complex theories about the characters in the books we read. Many of the ideas we are starting
with are obvious ideas. We don’t just want to read on and on and look for evidence of an obvious
idea. We want to think past the obvious ideas about our characters and use prompts to help us
push ourselves into deeper levels of thinking. To help us, we can use prompts and take the time to
think deeply about our idea. Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas
about the Growing
characters in your Theories
books on stickyabout
notes usingCharacters
precise, exact words. At the end of
reading time, we will start with our ideas and push our thinking using the prompts so we can
 We make
create mentaltheories
more complex moviesaboutand envision the characters as we read.
our characters.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to use the prompts to push their
Conferring  We step inside
thinking the
so they canstory
develop and
complex envision
ideas about the
theirmain character’s
characters that begin withworld.
simple,
obvious ideas.
characters.
 We revise our mental
 Have students images entry,
create a notebook when weinformation
or add read ontoand one oflearn new using
their entries,
information.
their sticky notes and the prompts to grow complex theories about their characters.
Partnerships We use  Haveourpartnerships
empathy for
share characters
their notebook entries toandmake
theoriespredictions.
and respond to each other
 We predict about thenot only
ideas what
they are willabout
growing happen but how it will happen.
their characters.
 We step
Teaching Share outside of the story to help us grow ideas about the
 Bring closure to today’s workshop by summarizing and reinforcing the focus of the day’s
characters.
teaching point.
people they are.
to their hearts.
main character.
actions.
 We pay attention to characters’ motivations and struggles.
 We start with simple, obvious ideas and push ourselves to think
more deeply as we grow complex theories about characters.
Reading Unit 2
Session 17
Reading Unit 2
Teaching Point Readers pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories.
Calkins
the meeting area.
Connection Readers, we have been working on creating theories that really matter in the stories we read. In
the books we have been reading together, we notice that some things seem to happen, or recur,
over and over throughout the story. These are the things that are really important. It is just like
when our parents or teachers want us to pay attention to things that are important. They keep
repeating them. The same thing happens in books. Authors often repeat things, the details and
themes that they want us to pay attention to, because they are important. Today, I want to teach
you that the things that keep recurring are the biggest things in books. The themes and the details
that the author mentions again and again are the ones that we need to pay attention to because
they are probably important to understanding the character and the story.
Demonstration/  Demonstrate how you pay close attention to one of the recurring details, Rob’s rash, in the
Teaching story, The Tiger Rising. Reread pages 24, 37, and the bottom of page 88 through the end
of the chapter. Use the prompts from Session 16 to grow a more complex theory about
the importance of Rob’s rash:
 The rash is really important because … it keeps others away.
 I remember earlier in the story when … it said that his mom died six months ago, too.
Maybe the rash and his mom’s death are connected.
 Maybe his rash is connected to his feelings … Rob can hide his feelings, but he can’t
hide the rash. Maybe the rash is about Rob’s sadness, or maybe it is about his anger.
 Explain that this recurring detail is somehow important to the story, even if at first it
doesn’t seem to be.
Active  Explain that students will have a chance to think about a recurring theme in the story. The
Involvement author writes about Rob’s suitcase. In this story, the suitcase isn’t real. It is an imaginary
one. Have students use one or more of the prompts to grow a complex theory about the
importance of Rob’s suitcase. Give them a couple of minutes to do this individually.
 Have partnerships turn and talk about their theories and push each other to think even
more deeply about their emerging ideas.
 Listen in and encourage students to say more, to listen to each other, to add on, to push
Reading Unit 2
Link So readers, today and every day that you read, remember that authors repeat ideas that they think
are important, ideas that they hope the story conveys. Many times authors repeat an idea by
repeating a detail, an image, or an object. In order to grow more complex and interesting ideas,
we can use prompts to help us think more deeply about these things because they are probably
important to the story. Today you will continue reading and continue to record your ideas about
the characters in your books on sticky notes using precise, exact words. Remember to pay close
attention to the recurring themes and details in your stories
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to use the prompts to push their
Conferring thinking about the recurring themes and details in the stories they are reading.
their sticky notes and pushing their thinking to grow strong ideas about their characters.
 Have students include the heading Recurring themes and details and the title of their
 We step inside
about the
the ideas theystory andabout
are growing envision the main character’s world.
their characters.
 We use  Haveouroneown experiences
or two to the
students share with help
class.us empathize with the
characters.
teaching point.
information.
characters.
people they are.
to their hearts.
main character.
actions.
Weof the
This document is theproperty start
Michiganwith simple,
Association obvious
of Intermediate ideas (MAISA).
School Administrators and push ourselves to think
Revised 7/8/2013. Page 56
 We pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories.
Reading Unit 2
Session 18
Reading Unit 2
Concept Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.
Teaching Point Readers use motifs to lead them to lasting thoughts about a story.
Calkins
Notes  Read chapters 28, 29, and 30 in the story The Tiger Rising during the active involvement
portion of this session.
 Students will not have an independent reading time during this session, as it will be
devoted to reading aloud the last three chapters and a discussion about the whole story.
Connection Readers, we sometimes have special experiences, like going to camp, where the counselors help us
find the right way to end our camp experience. We light candles, have a ceremony, or perform
some other act that helps us think about the spirit of the experience and provide us with some
lasting thoughts. It works the same way with books. Today as we finish reading the story, The
Tiger Rising, we are going to look at the recurring themes, called motifs in books, and think in such
a way that the story will really mean something to us, or have a lasting effect. Today I want to
teach you that one way that we can do this is by caring about the motifs in a story, letting the
motifs carry the spirit of the story.
Demonstration/  Explain that endings are a time when all we have been thinking and wondering about
Teaching comes together. We are going to feel as much as we can, pulling the whole book and its
meaning into this ending in any way we can. As I read, I want you to be figuring out what’s
most important, not just in this chapter, but in the whole book. I will stop at the end of
each chapter for you to write long in your reader’s notebooks.
Active  Read aloud chapter 28. Have students immediately pick up their notebooks and write all
Involvement of their thoughts, filling up the page. Have a few students share their entries:
 The death of the tiger opened up everything that Rob was trying to keep down for so
long.
 Rob screamed at his dad and he never did that before. I think telling his dad he hated
him is the bravest thing he has done. It is like the tiger is coming out of him.
 His dad said his mother’s name is important. He hadn’t wanted to talk about her at
all.
 Read aloud chapters 29 and 30 in the same way. And ask students to carry with them all
of this important thinking and see if they can grow bigger ideas. Have a few students
share their entries:
 Once Rob yelled at his dad, he started to heal.
 Once Rob’s dad shot the tiger, it is like everything poured out of him.
 Rob is like the caged tiger. The tiger wants to get out and be in the wild but can’t, and
Reading Unit 2
Rob’s real feelings are locked up inside of him and can’t get out. He won’t allow them
too. He is too afraid, but once Sistine convinces Rob to let the tiger out of the cage,
then Rob’s feelings and emotions get free, too.
 It’s like Rob has found his voice. Rob talks but doesn’t really say what he wants or
maybe needs to say. His dad is the same way. And this creates a big hole between
them. Neither one of them knows what to do, so they avoid talking about anything
that means anything to them. If they did, it might bring up the mom, and that would
be too painful.
 Rob avoided thinking, and his anger grew and grew inside him until he exploded.
 Rob needed to tiger to die to set his feelings free and to break his silence.
 Have students each think about one thing they are going to take away from this book.
They can share their thoughts with their partners and/or the class.
Link Readers, today I think that you felt how much the ending of a book can mean if we take time to
care about the motifs in the book. I think we will carry the images we have found at this story’s
end with us for a long time. You can do this same work with any book that is important to you.
Remember to use what we did together today to help you read your independent reading books
differently from now on.
teaching point.
 Explain that as students finish reading their independent reading books, they should spend
some time thinking and writing about the motifs in their books that will lead them to
lasting thoughts about their stories.
Reading Unit 2

 We step inside the story and envision the main character’s world.
characters.
information.
characters.
people they are.
 We notice when characters act in surprising ways and consider what
this reveals about them.
 We think carefully about the objects that characters hold close to
their hearts.
main character.
actions.
 We start with simple, obvious ideas and push ourselves to think
 We pay attention to recurring themes and details in stories.
 We use motifs to lead us to lasting thoughts about a stor y.
Reading Unit 2
Session 19
Concept Readers take time to reflect on stories and on their own reading lives to grow.
Teaching Point Readers analyze themselves as readers to determine their strengths and ways they want to
develop.
into Meaning, Lucy Calkins and Kathleen
Tolan
Calkins
Notes  Have students bring their reader’s notebook and a pencil to the meeting area.
Connection Readers, after listening to your conversations yesterday, it is clear that you have learned a lot
about ways to think and write and talk about the characters in the books we are reading. From
time to time, we will look back into our reading logs to learn about ourselves as readers. We can
also look back at our sticky notes and we can think about the thoughts we tend to have as readers
(and those we do not have very often). We can do this to learn about ourselves as readers. Today I
want to teach you how we can research our thinking about reading and give ourselves new goals.
Demonstration/  Explain that in the same way that there are differences in the amounts of reading we do
Teaching and the kinds of books we read, there are also differences in the kinds of thinking we tend
to do as we read. Some of us tend to wonder why characters do what they do,
questioning their real motivations and trying to find reasons for surprising actions. Others
do a lot of predicting, thinking about what will happen next, or connecting with the
characters, feeling empathy toward them and caring deeply for them. Some of us notice
the way an author has written the book, thinking about the choices that the author made
in the story.
 Flip through your own sticky notes and pay attention to the kinds of thinking you typically
do (pay attention to secondary characters like Willie May and Beauchamp) and the kinds
of thinking you rarely do (like predicting).
 Write down one or two goals for yourself in your reader’s notebook.
Active  Have students flip through their independent reading books and reread their sticky notes,
Involvement noticing the kinds of thinking they tend to do, and tend not to do.
 Have partners share one or two of their thoughts.
Link Readers, I hope that you are realizing that to be authors of your reading lives, you also need to be
researchers, studying what works and what doesn’t work for you as a reader. I hope that you
know that you can research yourselves as a reader and notice areas in which you can set goals for
yourself. Before you begin reading today, please take a few minutes to continue researching
yourselves as readers, checking our anchor chart to think of ways in which you are thinking as you
read, and recording two or three goals in your reading notebooks. As you begin reading today,
read with your goals in mind.
Reading and  Conduct table conferences to encourage students to create goals for themselves as
Reading Unit 2
Conferring readers and to keep their goals in mind as they read.
their sticky notes and pushing their thinking to grow strong ideas about their characters.
Partnerships  Have partnerships share their reading goals and respond to each other about their ideas.
teaching point.
Reading Unit 2
Conferring Checklist: Launching a Reading Life
Reading Unit 2
Student Name:
Envisioning/predicting/inferring:
Makes mental movies and envisions
the characters.
Envisions the main character’s world.
Empathizes and connects with
characters.
Revises mental images of characters.
Predicts what will happen and how.
Growing theories about characters:
Steps outside of story to grow ideas.
Notices characters’ actions and when
characters act in surprising ways.
Thinks about the importance of
objects to the characters.
Notices ways other characters treat
the character.
Uses precise, exact words to describe
the character.
From inference toward
interpretation:
Searches for patterns to push
thinking and keeps theories in mind.
interpretation:
Notices characters’ motivations and
struggles.
interpretation:
Searches for patterns in notes.
interpretation:
Uses prompts to grow complex
theories about characters.
Reflecting on stories and ourselves:
Notices recurring themes and details.
Reading Unit 2
Reflecting on stories and ourselves:
Uses motifs to lead to lasting
thoughts about a story.

Analyzing Characters: Grade 4 Reading Unit 2

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Analyzing Characters: Grade 4

Unit Title: Analyzing Characters Duration: 4 weeks

Session 5: Readers use their empathy for characters to make predictions.

Concept: Readers grow theories and gather evidence about characters.

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the

how it will happen.

We make mental movies and envision the

 We use our own experiences to help us

empathize with the characters.

read on and learn new information.

how it will happen.

grow ideas about the characters.

Growing Theories about Characters

Growing Theories about Characters

Growing Theories about Characters

Growing Theories about Characters

Growing Theories about Characters

Sticky notes from The Tiger Rising

Sticky notes from The Tiger Rising

Rob’s dad tells

Growing Theories about Characters

 We make mental movies and envision the characters as we read.

Growing Theories about Characters

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