1. art and entertainment
2. books and literature
3. poetry

Making Complex Text Accessible to All Students
Text Scaffold Lessons
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Lynda Feeney, Title I Director
Laurie Higgins, Reading Specialist
Kathleen Monahan, Classroom Teacher
West Elementary School
Stoughton, Massachusetts
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Table of Contents
Introduction
A description of Standard 10
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12-13
Standard 1 – Number the Stars
A lesson on Text Dependent Questions
Standard 1 – Number the Stars
A lesson on Questioning
Standard 2 – Bridge to Terabithia
A lesson on Summarizing
Standard 3- Bridge to Terabithia
A lesson on Character Traits
Standard 4 – Sarah, Plain and Tall
A lesson on Figurative Language
Standard 5 – Sarah, Plain and Tall
A lesson on Visualizing
Standard 6 – Number the Stars
A lesson on Point of View
Standard 7 – Sarah, Plain and Tall
A lesson on Building Background
Standard 9 – Bridge to Terabithia
A lesson on Building Background
Character Resources
Identifying character traits and development
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College and Career Readiness Standard 10
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10
Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts
independently and proficiently.
“It can be tough for students to hang in there and stick
with a text they have to labor through, looking up
words, puzzling over sentences, straining to make
connections. Teachers may be tempted to try to make it
easier for students by avoiding difficult texts. The
problem is, easier work is less likely to make readers
stronger. Teachers need to motivate students to keep
trying, especially when the level of work is
increasing. The payoff comes from staying on track.”
Educational
Leadership, March 2012
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Number the Stars
Chapters 6, 7&8
Skill/Strategy Text Dependent Questions
Expectation
Essential Question: How does identifying
important information help you to answer a
question?
SWBAT identify whether information is
important or interesting.
SWBAT answer text dependent questions
(TDQs) to enhance comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical inferences from
it; cite specific textual evidence when writing
or speaking to support conclusions drawn
from the text.
Support/Tier I
Use multiple sections from the chapters for
close reads.
SW answer TDQs, citing evidence from the
text.
Support/Tier II
Use a specific section from the text to close
read.
Present students with TDQs from the close
read.
Extension Activity: Summarize a section of
the text.
Support/Tier III
SW determine the important information
from the section in order to answer the TDQ.
Use a section of the text for a close read.
Mini-lesson:
SW answer a TDQ using one of the pieces of
important information as their evidence.
Do an interactive read aloud using The
Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown.
Make a two column chart to discuss what the
author identifies as important about each item
and what is interesting. Use a section from
Number the Stars to re-read closely and identify
important vs. interesting details. (The first
paragraph on p. 27 might be used. Important:
The girls are alone in the apartment.
Interesting: They are sprawled on the floor,
playing paper dolls, Gone with the Wind.
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SW sort important vs. interesting information
from a close read.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Number the Stars
Chapter/s 9, 10&11
Skill/Strategy Questioning
Expectation
Essential Question: How does asking rich
questions help you understand the
text/character/theme better?
SWBAT pose questions from a
page/section/chapter of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1
Read closely to determine what the text says
explicitly and to make logical inferences from it;
cite specific textual evidence when writing or
speaking to support conclusions drawn from the
text.
Support/Tier I
Following the reading of each chapter, SW
write questions that they have about the
text.
Discuss how the questions impact the
understanding of the text.
Support/Tier II
Using a short section from the text, complete
a close read to gain a deeper
understanding.
SW work in partners to develop questions
that they have from the section.
Support/Tier III
SW fill in a copy of the anchor chart and
discuss with another partner set.
Model questioning through a think aloud of a
section of the text.
Fill in the questioning chart as a group.
Mini-lesson:
Use a small section of the text to do a close
read. Introduce the Questioning Chart to the
students and model what a relevant and
irrelevant question would look like. Proceed
to column 2 of the chart and discuss, “why we
have these questions.” Proceed to column 3
and discuss “how the questions help the
reader understand the text better.”
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Provide the students with the following
sentence frame:
My question___________________ helped me
understand________________________.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Bridge to Terabithia
Chapter/s Wrap Up
Skill/Strategy Summarizing
Expectation
Essential Question: How does
understanding theme help us summarize
the development of the plot?
SWBAT write a summary of the text.
SWBAT transfer the understanding of theme
to other sources in order to deepen
understanding of the text.
CCSS.ELA-CCRA.R.2
Determine central ideas or themes of a text
and analyze their development; summarize
the key supporting
Support/Tier I
Re-read “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen
Dromgoole. Remind students of the theme
of the poem by referring to the reverse
web.
Complete a reverse web for Bridge to
Terabithia in order to identify a theme of
the text.
Support/Tier II
Re-read “The Dream Keeper” by Langston
Hughes. Remind the students of the theme
of the poem by referring to the reverse web.
Complete a reverse web for Bridge to
Terabithia using close reads from the text
(for example pp. 44, 73-74, 153-154, 162163.)
Compare how both the authors used the
theme in order to develop the characters
and the plot.
SW write a summary of the book.
Mini-lesson:
Model writing a summary using the text The
Memory String by Eve Bunting, or a text of your
choice.
Your summary should contain enough information
to allow the reader to understand who or what the
text is about and how the plot/characters
developed.
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Compare how both of the authors used the
theme in order to develop the characters
and the plot.
SW write a summary of the book.
Support/Tier III
Re-read the quote, “We are the music
makers, and we are the dreamers of
dreams”. Arthur O’Shaughnessy. Remind
the students of the theme of the quote by
referring to the reverse web.
Complete a reverse web for Bridge to
Terabithia using quotes from the text in order
to determine the big idea.
SW write a summary of the book using
sentence frames to organize their thoughts.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Bridge to Terabithia
Chapter/s 1
Skill/Strategy Identifying Character Traits
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.3
Expectation
Essential Question:
SWBAT
SWBAT
Analyze how and why individuals, events, or
ideas develop and interact over the course
of a text.
Support/Tier I
Support/Tier II
Support/Tier III
Mini lesson:
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Sarah, Plain and Tall
Chapter/s 7 and 8
Skill/Strategy Identifying Figurative Language
Expectation
Essential Question: How does Patricia
MacLachlan’s use of similes help readers
better understand the book’s tone?
SWBAT identify similes as a form of figurative
language.
SWBAT explain what is being compared in
each simile.
SWBAT describe how the use of similes
impacts the tone of the book.
Support/Tier II
SW lose read the last paragraph of chapter
8.
SW identify the 2 similes in the passage.
SW identify the clue words (like) that helped
them locate each simile.
SW describe what is being compared in
each simile, and SW explain how the similes
enhance the imagery and understanding of
the passage.
Mini lesson:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.4
Interpret words and phrases as they are used
in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and
analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning and tone.
Support/Tier I
Given page numbers, SW go on a ‘simile
hunt’.
SW locate each simile and explain what is
being compared in each.
SW choose one simile, illustrate it, and
describe how it impacts the tine for this part
of the book.
Support/Tier III
Re-type the last paragraph of chapter 8 without
the similes. Read and discuss the passage with
the students. Have the students illustrate the
passage – ‘BEFORE”.
Pass out copies of the last paragraph with the 2
similes included. Ask the students to find the
differences between the two passages. Which
one gives more details? Explain that authors uses
similes to describe detains in a clear and concise
way. Have students illustrate the passage –
‘AFTER’. Discuss the addition of details due to
the author’s use of similes.
Tell students that authors use figurative
language to make their message clear. Similes
are one type of figurative language. Authors
use similes to compare two things using the
words ‘like’ or ‘as’. Read Quick as a Cricket by
Audrey Wood. Discuss how each simile helps the
reader understand the character’s personality in
a clear way because the personality trait is being compared to something that is well known and
obvious. Help students create similes on their own to describe one of their own personality traits.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Sarah, Plain and Tall
Chapter/s 5 and 6
Skill/Strategy Visualizing
Expectation
Essential Question: How does Patricia
MacLachlan’s word choice effect what the
reader sees in his/her mind as he/she
reads?
SWBAT illustrate portions of a text based on
the words and phrases read.
SWBAT cite specific evidence to support
illustration.
Support/Tier II
After reading chapters 5&6, choose a
passage to close read. Suggestions: ‘hay
dune’ description on page 35, winters on
the prairie on page 39, or floating on the
cow pond on page 41.
SW focus on one of these sections and
illustrate what they are visualizing based
only on the given passage.
SW cite the specific words or phrases that
helped them visualize specific details.
Mini lesson:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.5
Analyze the structure of texts, including how
specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text relate to each other and
the whole
Support/Tier I
SW read chapters 5&6.
SW illustrate the ‘hay dune’ from chapter 5
and swimming in the cow pond from
chapter 6.
SW describe illustrations citing specific
evidence from the book to support the
visual.
Support/Tier III
After reading chapters 5&6, close read the ‘hay
dune’ description on page 35.
1) SW illustrate what they visualize based only on
the given passage.
2) Teacher will illustrate the same passage
discussing some common misconceptions and
uncertainties; such as – bed, hay, pitchfork, and
lantern. Use this opportunity to show students
how to use context clues and knowledge to form
understanding.
3) SW close read the passage about winters on
the prairies on page 39. SW illustrate the
passage, referring to the teacher’s model as a
guide.
Read The Seashore Book by Charlotte
Zolotow without showing pictures. Prior to
reading, explain that in this book a mother uses
descriptive language to describe the seashore to
her son who has never seen the seashore. After
reading, have students draw their favorite scene
from the book. Or, type up the different page of
the text and have each student illustrate each separate page. This will allow students the
opportunity to focus on the specific words on a page and what images they help the reader form
in his/her mind.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Number the Stars
Chapter/s 12
Skill/Strategy Point of View
Expectation
Essential Question: How does
understanding the story from a different
character’s point of view help deepen the
understanding of the story.
SWBAT will look at the events of a text from
the point of view of a different character.
SWBAT answer an open response question
about how a character’s point of view
effects the meaning of a text.
Support/Tier II
Students will closely re-read a section of the
text starting on page 96 (bottom
paragraph) through the first sentence of
page 98, and complete the following
prompt: In chapter 12, Ann Marie thinks
about her father waiting at home as she is
waiting for her mother to return. Lois Lowry
shows Annemarie’s thinking with the
following quote, “It was harder for the ones
who were waiting, Annemarie knew. Less
danger, perhaps, but more fear.” Write a
scene from Ellen’s point of view while going
through the forest.
Mini Lesson:
Read Aloud Voices in the Park by Anthony
Brown. Discuss the different point of views of
the book. Student will write their own chapter
from the point of view of one of the dogs.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.6
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes
the content and style of a text.
Support/Tier I
Students will closely re-read chapter 12 and
complete the following prompt: In chapter
12, Ann Marie thinks about her father
waiting at home as she is waiting for her
mother to return. Lois Lowry shows
Annemarie’s thinking with the following
quote, “It was harder for the ones who
were waiting, Annemarie knew. Less
danger, perhaps, but more fear.” Write a
scene from Ellen’s point of view while going
through the forest.
Support/Tier III
Students will closely re-read a section
of the text starting on page 97 (first full
paragraph) through the first sentence
on page 98, and complete the following
prompt: In chapter 12, Ann Marie thinks
about her father waiting at home as she is
waiting for her mother to return. Lois Lowry
shows Annemarie’s thinking with the
following quote, “It was harder for the ones
who were waiting, Annemarie knew. Less
danger, perhaps, but more fear.” Write a
scene from Ellen’s point of view while going
through the forest.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text: Sarah Plain and Tall
Chapter/s: Pre Read
Skill/Strategy: Building Background
Expectation
Essential Question: How can the study of
photographs (diverse media and formats) help
us to prepare for the reading of a story?
SWBAT describe photographs and generate
questions about what they see.
SWBAT compare two settings as presented in
the photographs.
Support/Tier II
Post a photograph about the prairie. Write the
word prairie on chart paper or the board. Pass
sticky notes out to students. Direct them to write
describing words or phrases about what they
see. Affix the notes around the word ‘prairie’
creating a word splash (can be done orally as
well – teacher writes the words on the chart as
students share). Compare this word splash to
the one generated during the mini lesson.
Create a Venn diagram with the headings
Maine and Prairie. Use it to record similarities
and differences between the two settings. Write
a compare and contrast paragraph about
Maine and the prairie.
Mini Lesson:
Post a picture about Maine. Write the
word Maine on chart paper or the board. Pass
sticky notes out to students. Direct them to write
describing words or phrases about what they
see. Affix the notes on the board.
Discuss how we can learn about setting from
studying a photograph.
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy. CCRA.R.7
Integrate and evaluate content presented in
diverse media and formats, including visually
and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Support/Tier I
Pass out pictures of the prairie to groups. In
groups, SW generate questions about the
photographs. SW compare questions within
the group and present their favorite question
along with their photograph to the class. As a
class, SW look for trends among questions and
SW look for similarities among the photographs.
Following, SW read a poem about prairies. SW
write connections they find between the poem
and the photograph. SW will make predictions
about the upcoming story based on the above
activities.
Support/Tier III
Post a photograph about the prairie. Write the
word prairie on chart paper or the board. Pass
sticky notes out to students. Direct them to write
describing words
or
phrases about what they see. Affix the notes
around the word ‘prairie’ creating a word splash
(can be done orally as well – teacher writes the
words on the chart as students share). Compare
this word splash to the one generated during the
mini lesson. Create a T chart with the headings
Maine and Prairie. Use it to record differences
between the two settings. Discuss how different
settings can impact a story and the characters in
the story.
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Complex Text Scaffold
Book/Text Bridge to Terabithia
Chapter/s Pre-Reading
Skill/Strategy Building Background
Expectation
Essential Question: How does
understanding theme help us follow the
development of the plot?
CCSS.ELA-CCRA.R.9
Analyze how two or more texts address
similar themes or topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare the approaches
the authors take.
SWBAT identify the theme of a text.
SWBAT transfer the understanding of theme
to other sources.
Support/Tier II
Close read “The Dream Keeper” by
Langston Hughes.
SW write questions they have about the
poem next to the stanza.
Discuss these questions.
Identify the main idea of the poem by
finding clues that tell who or what the poem
is about and what happens in the poem. Fill
in a reverse web to identify a theme of the
poem.
Mini-lesson:
Tell the students that the theme of a story is the
message that the author wants us to understand.
Read Aloud The Memory String by Eve Bunting (or
a text of your choice about a particular theme)
stopping at strategic points to think aloud. Re-read
the book. Ask students to identify details about
things that the characters say or do. Make a
reverse web adding the details. When finished
discuss with the students what they think the details
tell us about the theme.
*What did the character learn?
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Support/Tier I
Explain that you can find theme in a poem
just as you do in a text.
Close read “The Bridge Builder” by Will Allen
Dromgoole.
SW write questions they have about the
poem next to each stanza.
Discuss these questions.
Identify the main idea of the poem by
finding clues that tell who or what the
poem is about and what happens in the
poem. Fill in a reverse web to identify a
theme of the poem.
Support/Tier III
SW identify a theme of the following quote:
We are the music makers, and we are the
dreamers of dreams. Arthur O’Shaughnessy
SW write a question that they have about
the quote. Discuss these questions as a class.
Use a reverse web to identify details that will
lead the reader to the theme of the quote.
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Character!Traits:!
• Students!re*read!the!selection!and!
identify!character!traits!of!the!
character.!!!
• Make!a!list!of!the!traits!that!the!
students!share.!!!
• Have!students!defend!their!trait!
choices.!!!
• Choose!four!traits!and!write!the!
traits!on!the!chart!in!four!different!
colors.!!
• !Work!together!to!write!sentences!
connecting!the!traits!to!supporting!
evidence!from!the!text.!
• For!younger!grades,!words!can!be!
pre*determined!and!put!in!a!word!
box.!!!
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Character!Development:!
• Use!the!list!of!words!the!students!
generated!to!describe!the!
character’s!traits!as!a!resource.!
• Sort!these!into!words!that!would!
describe!a!character!in!the!
beginning,!middle,!and!end!of!the!
story.!!!!
• Using!sticky!notes,!students!will!
write!their!favorite!traits!for!each!
part!of!the!story.!
• Affix!these!notes!to!the!chart!and!
discuss!how!they!show!the!
character’s!development!over!the!
course!of!the!story.!!!
• Extend!the!activity!into!a!writing!
assignment,!or!have!the!students!
provide!text!evidence!to!support!
their!claims.!
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Character Trait and Character Development Activities
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Create maps or webs to illustrate answers to 5W and How questions on your favorite fables,
fairy tales, stories, describing characters’ responses to events or challenges, and determine
the message, lesson or moral as well.
•
Predict the actions the main character will take based on what you have read so far.
•
Use stem questions to respond how characters will react to events and challenges.
•
Take notes: As you read a story, ask students to state the characters, major events, and
how the characters responded. Note the information on chart paper. Use the information
for an outline or a paragraph.
•
Create murals or scenes from favorite stories to describe characters, using explicit details
from the text.
•
Create maps or webs to illustrate answers to 5W and How questions on your favorite fables,
fairy tales, stories, describing characters’ responses to events or challenges, and determine
the message, lesson or moral as well.
•
Predict the actions the main character will take based on what you have read so far.
•
Use stem questions to respond how characters will react to events and challenges.
•
Take notes: As you read a story, ask students to state the characters, major events, and
how the characters responded. Note the information on chart paper. Use the information
for an outline or a paragraph.
•
Create murals or scenes from favorite stories to describe characters, using explicit details
from the text.
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