1. What is Close Reading?
Room 225
J. Bisti

2. Good Morning! Please take your seat quickly and quietly.
Today, you will need:
A pen or a pencil
Your Notebook
Do Now:
Make a list of things close readers do
You should have a list of at least 5 things close readers do
Bonus: What should we do when we work in partners or groups? Make a list.

3. Set up your Notebook
Write your name (first and last) and the period on the card provided to you.
Open to the first page and write today’s date.
Copy the learning targets into your notebook:
I can close read a variety of texts.
I can identify and use different strategies for close reading.
I can work collaboratively with my peers.
RL.2.7: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text
RI7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
RI7.5: Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of ideas
W7.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
SL7.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

4. Close Reading - texts
There are many different types of texts that we will need to read closely. They include:
Images
Cartoons
Videos
Articles
Literature & poetry
Infographics/Charts/Graphs

5. Using your notebooks
You will be using your notebooks to keep notes as you travel from station to station.
Some notes you will write directly into your notebooks, others you will take notes on a worksheet and glue or staple the notes into your notebook.
Read the directions for each station carefully so that you know what to do.

6. Close Reading Stations
Each station has a different text.
With your group, you’ll have 15 minutes to:
Read the directions
Analyze (read closely) the text
Complete the brief writing task

7. Good morning!
Please take your notebook from the bin and have a seat quickly and quietly.
Today, you will need:
A pen or a pencil
Your class notebook
Do Now:
Complete the station where you were last sitting yesterday.

8. Close Reading Stations
Each station has a different text.
With your group, you’ll have 15 minutes to:
Read the directions
Analyze (read closely) the text
Complete the brief writing task

9. Title: Close Reading Images
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebook.
Set up a T-Chart for “I Notice/I Wonder” (see example)
Examine the image closely. Write down what you notice and any questions you generate from the image.

10. Title: Close Reading Cartoons
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebook.
Set up a T-Chart for “I Notice/I Wonder” (see example)
Examine the cartoon closely. Write down what you notice and any questions you generate from the image.
Answer the following question: What is the artist trying to tell us with this cartoon?

11. Title: Close Reading Videos
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebook.
Watch video -
You should have time to watch the video twice, pausing to take notes when necessary.
Take notes in your notebook to answer the following questions:
What is the problem indicated in the video?
What is causing the problem?
What are people doing to stop or solve the problem?

12. Title: Close Reading Nonfiction
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebook.
Set up a K-W-L chart in your notebook (see example).
Write down what you KNOW about elephants and tusks in the K column of your chart.
Write down what you WANT to know about elephants and tusks in the W column of your chart - these can be questions.
Read the short article “Elephant Tusks”
Annotate the article for the gist as you read.
Write down what you LEARNED about elephants and tusks after you read (especially if any of your questions were answered).
Staple the article into your notebook before moving stations.

13. Title: Close Reading Infographics
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebooks.
Closely examine the infographic.
Answer the following questions in your notebook:
What claim is the author trying to give?
What evidence supports the claim?

14. Title: Close Reading Literature (poetry)
Directions:
Write the title of this station in your notebooks.
Glue the poem into your notebook (under the title).
Read “A Martyr is Witness” by Chuck Ward.
What is the theme (message) of the poem? Write the theme in your notebook.
Remember: a theme is a message or lesson the speaker is giving about a particular topic. It is a complete thought (sentence), not a word or phrase.
Highlight or underline the lines in the poem that support the theme.

15. One Last Thing …
Using what you know about elephants and poaching and tusks, write the story of what happened in these photos. You can take any perspective (poacher, elephant, conservationists, reporter, yourself), and write in any structure (story, poem, article, journal, etc.)

16. Closure So … what did we learn about elephants?
How did the close reading strategies help you gather information?
Which do you like best?
Which do you struggle with? Why?
How can we use our close reading to support a claim or answer a question?