Close Reading in Musical Theatre Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening in the Arts © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Workshop Goals Today we will… Understand the increased text complexity demands of the CCSS and the value of teaching students to read closely in ELA and the arts Make connections between the CCSS, VAPA standards, and close reading Experience a close read Practice the steps for planning a close read © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSESA Arts Initiative’s Vision “Visual and performing arts are an integral part of a comprehensive curriculum and essential for learning in the 21st century.” CCSESA (2014) Integrating Arts Learning with the Common Core State Standards © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSESA Arts Initiative Eight Principles Enriched and affirming learning environments Empowering pedagogy Challenging and relevant curriculum High-quality instructional resources Valid and comprehensive assessment (continues) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSESA Arts Initiative Eight Principles (continued) High-quality professional preparation and support Powerful family and community engagement Advocacy-oriented administrative and leadership systems CCSESA (2014) Integrating Arts Learning with the Common Core State Standards © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSESA Arts Initiative Website http://www.ccsesaarts.org/ © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Warm Up What do the following books have in common? Oliver Twist by C. Dickens Little House on the Prairie by L. Ingalls Wilder The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by M. Twain Record your thoughts and be prepared to share. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Surprise! 640 L 760 L 680 L Lexile Measure Lexile Measure Retrieved from http://www.lexile.com/analyzer/ © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

College and Career Readiness CCR Reading Anchor Standard 10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Three-Part Model for Measuring Text Complexity Levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Readability measures and other scores of text complexity © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved. Reader variables (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and task variables (such as purpose and the complexity generated by the task assigned and the questions posed) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Upward Shift in Lexile Ranges Fisher (2014) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

What Makes Text Complex? Qualitative Dimensions Levels of Meaning or Purpose Structure Language Conventionality and Clarity Knowledge Demands © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSS Appendix A: Text Complexity Browse the four qualitative factors of text complexity from Appendix A. Consider the continuum of difficulty within each factor. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Close, Attentive Reading “Students who meet the Standards readily undertake the close, attentive reading that is at the heart of understanding and enjoying complex works of literature. They habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally.” National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers (2010) Common Core State Standards for ELA/Literacy © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Study the CCSS for ELA/Literacy Reading Standards Study the CCSS for ELA/Literacy: Reading Standards for your grade level/span or content area. Highlight standards that require close reading of text and/or citing evidence from text. Calculate the percentage of reading standards that require close reading of text. Share your highlights with a partner and “support your claim.” © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Integrating the Arts “When the arts are integrated, learning is experienced in a variety of ways, allowing every student to be successful in various content areas.” Donovan & Pascale (2012) Integrating the Arts Across Content Areas © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Integrating the Standards VAPA and CCSS Reading Strand Read the VAPA Standards in the Component Strand 1.0 Artistic Perception—Theatre for your grade level/span. Highlight the words and phrases that tell what students are expected to know and do for each standard. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Quick and Easy Access to CA’s CCSS Standards ELA/Literacy, ELD, and Math On Your iPhone® or iPad® Available on the App Store On Your Android™ Available on Google Play™ (Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.) At Your Desktop www.scoe.net/estandards On Your Smartphone www.scoe.net/estandardsmobile © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

eStandards Keyword Search Launch the eStandards app Select CCSS ELA & Literacy Select Grade Level Standards Select All Grades Enter keyword, select All Strands Keywords: vocabulary, plot, theme, pacing, mood, metaphor © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

What Does It Mean to Read Closely? “Close reading of text involves an investigation of a short piece of text, with multiple readings done over multiple instructional lessons. Through text-based questions and discussion, students are guided to deeply analyze and appreciate various aspects of the text, such as key vocabulary and how its meaning is shaped by context; attention to form, tone, imagery and/or rhetorical devices; the significance of word choice and syntax; and the discovery of different levels of meaning as passages are read multiple times.” Brown & Kappes (2012) A Primer on Close Reading of Text © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Close Reading in Drama “One way to deeply study works of art in different disciplines is to examine multiple renditions of the same work. Perhaps the most obvious example is drama. Students can study closely a specific act or scene, and then observe how it has been played by different directors and actors. The Core Standards in Literacy require that students can compare the evidence they see in the script, and observe how different productions draw and interpret the script.” David Coleman (n.d.) Guiding Principles for the Arts, Grades K–12 © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Features of Close Reading Short, worthy passages Students rereading Limited frontloading Text-dependent questions Read and annotate After-reading tasks Fisher & Frey (2013) Rigorous Reading © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Types of Text-Dependent Questions Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections Inferences Author’s Craft & Purpose Vocabulary & Text Structure Key Details General Understandings Whole Across texts Entire text Segments Paragraph Sentence Word Part Fisher & Frey (2013) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Types Defined Browse the “Text-Dependent Questions” document from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Note the definition of each type of text-dependent question. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Instructor Model “We are going to continue in our study of ‘Transformation’ by closely reading lyrics from the musical Wicked.” © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Participate in a Close Read Read the lyrics to “Defying Gravity” from the musical Wicked. Annotate the text: Underline major points Circle unclear words and phrases In your own words, write notes in the margins restating the author’s ideas © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

General Understanding With a partner, discuss: Who is singing these lyrics? Based on the first and third stanzas, what do you think has happened? Without yet knowing who Glinda is, what can you say about her character’s role in what has happened? © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Key Details With a partner, discuss: What concerns does Elphaba have about venturing out on her own? What details in the lyrics support your answer? © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Reread: Deeper Focus Circle up in groups of six. Each person in the circle reads one stanza aloud. Add pauses, inflections, intonations, and emphasis (prosody) to the text. How does this change your initial understandings of the lyrics? Add to your annotations. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Vocabulary With your table group, discuss: What does Elphaba mean when she states, “Some things I cannot change; But till I try I’ll never know”? What is the tone of the lyrics? What words and phrases support your claim? Add to your annotations. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Structure Read the lyrics within the context of the script. With your table group, discuss: How does this change or strengthen your understanding of what is happening to the main character, Elphaba? Add to your annotations. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Structure Read the stage directions within the script and consider Elphaba’s point of view. How do the stage directions help make the lyrics in the final stanza so memorable? © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Inferences With your table group, discuss: To whom is Elphaba referring when she states, “To those who’d ground me; Take a message back from me”? What other parts of the lyrics or script support your claim? Add to your annotations. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Opinion Choose one line from the lyrics that best conveys what you know so far about Elphaba as a character and her transformation. Be prepared to “perform” that line for your group. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Diverse Text Types Video: The Wizard of Oz, 1939 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnXAl1ntt_4 © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Diverse Text Type Using your knowledge of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, explain the juxtaposition between the film version of the Wicked Witch of the West and Elphaba from Wicked. Add to your annotations. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Intertextual Connections Video: Dr. Maya Angelou recites “And I Still Rise” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqo50LSZ0 © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Intertextual Connections What comparisons can you make between the poem, the lyrics, and Elphaba’s character? What contrasts can you make? © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Culminating Tasks What is the role of choice in transformation? After reading and discussing the lyrics to “Defying Gravity,” create a tableau, collage, or monologue that defines the consequences, positive and negative, of Elphaba’s decision to transform herself. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Reflect on the Model Consider the following prompt: What changed your idea of the lyrics over the course of the close reading model? Be prepared to share. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Extension Ideas Read an accompanying excerpt from the book Wicked. Listen to the song “Defying Gravity” Watch the Tony Awards performance of “Defying Gravity” on YouTube Closely read other related text with same theme Closely read other parts of the script that support theme and give deeper meaning Compare/contrast a unit of study when transformation is not a choice © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Key Considerations Different readings have different foci Questions we ask the readers during the readings are a scaffold Direct students to update annotations Include collaborative conversation Listen to students to figure out how and when to move on with lesson End with a task aligned to the big idea of the text/unit © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Creating a Close Reading Choose a short, worthy passage If there’s a staple, it’s too long! Plan for re-reading Where’s the evidence? Different foci for each read Limit front-loading and preteaching vocabulary Give students the chance to struggle a bit Design text-dependent questions Part to whole Require students to “read with a pencil” Independently read and annotate Incorporate after-reading tasks © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Annotation: Some Suggestions Underline the major points. Circle words or phrases that are confusing or unknown to you. Use a question mark (?) for questions that | you have during the reading. Be sure to write your question. Use an exclamation mark (!) for things that surprise you, and briefly note what it was that caught your attention. (continues) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Annotation: Some Suggestions (continued) Draw an arrow (↵) when you make a connection to something inside the text, or to an idea or experience outside the text. Briefly note your connections. Mark EX when the author provides an example. Numerate arguments, important ideas, or key details and write words or phrases that restate them. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Ideas for After-Reading Tasks Connected to the Arts Write a monologue Create a piece of visual art Represent the topic/subject through a tableau Reenact a scene Make a connection to another piece of music/play/movie Write a song/poem © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Support for During- and After-Reading Tasks Literacy Design Collaborative— Writing task templateswww.ldc.org/how-ldc-works/modules/what-task Musial Theatre Internationalhttp://www.mtishows.com CCSESA Arts Initiative Websitehttp://www.ccsesaarts.org © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Connect to the Classroom Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections Inferences Author’s Craft & Purpose Vocabulary & Text Structure Key Details General Understandings Whole Across texts Entire text Segments Paragraph Sentence Word Part Fisher & Frey (2013) © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Planning for Your Classroom Review the 5-day lesson Plan for Wicked. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

Planning for Your Classroom Locate the scripts for West Side Story and The Little Mermaid. Choose one of these songs to plan a close read for your classroom: West Side Story, “Something’s Coming” The Little Mermaid, “Part of Your World” Participate in a guided planning process. © Creativity at the Core | Artful Discussions | 2.19.15

CCSS Resources Common Core State Standards Initiative www.corestandards.org California’s Common Core State Standards www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/ Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium www.smarterbalanced.org Achieve the Core www.achievethecore.org