Rationale PARCC Narrative Task Grade 6 Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies To equip students with the skills needed to successfully answer the reading portion of the PARCC Narrative Task, instructors should review reading strategies that can be applied to both the text and its associated questions. Goal To review reading strategies for literary text and text-based questions To apply those reading strategies to answer sample EBSR and TECR questions Task Foci Objectives Materials Procedure CCSS RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS RL.6.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. CCSS RL.6.3: Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS RL.6.5: Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot. Students will learn strategies for reading a literary text and assessment questions to improve their performance on the PARCC Narrative Task. Sample literary text Sample EBSR and TECR Tell students that today they are going to learn strategies for reading the PARCC Narrative Task strategies they can apply to all readings. Distribute the text and the questions. Explain to the class, We ll begin with strategies to use before reading. Because we are reading for a timed test, we want to target the most important information we NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 1
need to understand the reading and answer the questions. To know what we need to look for we should reading the questions first. Remind students that they are allowed to navigate back and forth through the questions on the test, and that the text is always present on the left side of the computer screen. They should be encouraged to read through all the questions first to get gist of what is being asked of them. Read the Vocabulary EBSR, Part A with the class. Then ask, What information is this question asking for? Take time to go through the question and check that students understand. Next, read Part B. Then ask, What information is this question asking us for? What information do we need to support the answer to Part A? Repeat the previous two steps for the TECR. Next, ask students if they know any strategies they can use before reading the text. Direct students to look at the title and to guess what the story might be about (based on the title alone). You can ask the following questions: o Does the title seem to describe a character, setting, or situation? o Could the title suggest an important symbol in the story? o Do you think the title might name, describe, or imply the theme? *Remind students that this is all speculation at this point. You really have to read the story to analyze the title, but thinking about its meaning before reading will get you to thinking about its meaning as you read. Ask students to briefly peruse the text. Ask them to identify the literary form: Is it a story, a play, a poem? Explain how form will affect our reading of the text. o If it s a story (prose fiction), we ll have a narrator giving us information; there ll be some description of character, setting, etc. o If it s a play, we might get a few stage directions, but we will mostly have to read dialogue to gather details about character, setting, etc. o (Poems won t appear in the Narrative Task, but they are a part of the Literary Analysis Task, which has similar EBSRs and TECRs.) Ask students to read the text independently. Emphasize that with close-reading, one reading will not be enough. Have students read the text again and take notes. Before they start reading, remind them to think about the questions and focus their second reading on noting information that would help them answer those questions. Give students 10 minutes to answer the questions. Encourage them to return to the text as much as they need to. (They should be doing so for every question). Discuss the correct answers. To conclude, remind students to apply these strategies to everything they read as these are strategies used to enhance comprehension, not just used as an assessment aid. Assessment Class discussion should demonstrate students understanding of the pre-reading strategies. Students should correctly answer the EBSR and TECR NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 2
from Dracula By Bram Stoker 1. Count Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel, which I found, to my great delight, to be thoroughly old-fashioned, for of course I wanted to see all I could of the ways of the country. I was evidently expected, for when I got near the door I faced a cheery-looking elderly woman in the usual peasant dress. When I came close she bowed and said, The Herr Englishman? Yes, I said, Jonathan Harker. She smiled, and gave some message to an elderly man in white shirt-sleeves, who had followed her to the door. He went, but immediately returned with a letter: 2. My Friend. Welcome to the Carpathians. I am anxiously expecting you. Sleep well to-night. At three to-morrow the diligence will start for Bukovina; a place on it is kept for you. At the Borgo Pass my carriage will await you and will bring you to me. I trust that your journey from London has been a happy one, and that you will enjoy your stay in my beautiful land. 3. Your friend, Dracula. 4. 4 May. I found that my landlord had got a letter from the Count, directing him to secure the best place on the coach for me; but on making inquiries as to details he seemed somewhat reticent, and pretended that he could not understand my German. This could not be true, because up to then he had understood it perfectly; at least, he answered my questions exactly as if he did. He and his wife, the old lady who had received me, looked at each other in a frightened sort of way. He mumbled out that the money had been sent in a letter, and that was all he knew. When I asked him if he knew Count Dracula, and could tell me anything of his castle, both he and his wife crossed themselves, and, saying that they knew nothing at all, simply refused to speak further. It was so near the time of starting that I had no time to ask any one else, for it was all very mysterious and not by any means comforting. 5. Just before I was leaving, the old lady came up to my room and said in a very hysterical way: 6. Must you go? Oh! young Herr, must you go? She was in such an excited state that she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. I was just able to follow her by asking many questions. When I told her that I must go at once, and that I was engaged on important business, she asked again: 7. Do you know what day it is? I answered that it was the fourth of May. She shook her head as she said again: 8. Oh, yes! I know that! I know that, but do you know what day it is? On my saying that I did not understand, she went on: 9. It is the eve of St. George s Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to? She was in such evident distress that I tried to comfort her, but without effect. Finally she went down on her knees and implored me not to go; at least to wait a day or two before starting. It was all very ridiculous but I did not feel comfortable. However, there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it. I therefore tried to raise her up, and said, as gravely as I could, that I thanked her, but my duty was imperative, and that I must go. She then rose and dried her eyes, and taking a crucifix from her neck offered it to me. I did not know what to do, for, as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind. She saw, I suppose, the doubt in my face, for she put the rosary round my neck, and said, For your mother s sake, and went out of the room. NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 3
1. Create a timeline of Jonathan Harker s journey. Below, you will find a list of six possible locations. Select the four places that Harker will actually visit during his planned route. Drag and drop them into the graphic organizer below. Make sure to list the locations in chronological order, beginning with Harker's starting point and ending with his final destination. 1. 2. 3. 4. Options A village in the Transylvanian countryside A hotel in the Carpathian Mountains London Count Dracula's Castle Bukovina The Borgo Pass NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 4
2. Part A: What description best captures Bram Stoker's writing style in this excerpt? A. A hair-raising horror story. B. A morality tale. C. An exchange of letters. D. A travel diary. Part B: What passage from the excerpt best supports your answer in Part A? A. 3 May. Count Dracula had directed me to go to the Golden Krone Hotel, which I found, to my great delight, to be thoroughly old-fashioned, for of course I wanted to see all I could of the ways of the country. (Paragraph 1) B. Your friend, Dracula. (Paragraph 3) C. It is the eve of St. George s Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? (Paragraph 9) D. as an English Churchman, I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous, and yet it seemed so ungracious to refuse an old lady meaning so well and in such a state of mind. (Paragraph 9) 3. Part A: What does the word hysterical mean in Paragraph 5? A. Friendly B. Upset C. Too Late D. Incomprehensible Part B: What passage from the excerpt best supports your answer in Part A? A. I faced a cheery-looking elderly woman in the usual peasant dress (Paragraph 1) B. Just before I was leaving (Paragraph 5) C. She was in such an excited state (Paragraph 6) D. she seemed to have lost her grip of what German she knew, and mixed it all up with some other language which I did not know at all. (Paragraph 6) NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 5
4. Think about the old lady and the landlord's behavior, which Jonathan Harker fails to understand. Why do these two characters do what they do? Below, you will find a list of possible explanations. Choose the ones that best fit these characters motives. Drag and drop the correct explanations into the graphic organizer below. There are three answers to this question. The Old Lady and the Landlords Motivations Options They don't know anything about Count Dracula. They are frightened on Jonathan's behalf. They believe that evil awaits at Count Dracula's castle. They have ridiculous superstitions. They want Jonathan to stay more nights at their hotel. They don't want Jonathan to visit Count Dracula. NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 6
5. Part A: Why does Jonathan Harker continue his journey, despite the old lady's warnings? A. He is following the rules of his religion, which are different from hers. B. He has no choice. C. He has work to do. D. He thinks her fears are silly. Part B: What detail from the excerpt best supports your answer to Part A? A. It was all very ridiculous (Paragraph 9) B. there was business to be done, and I could allow nothing to interfere with it. (Paragraph 9) C. I... said, as gravely as I could, that... I must go. (Paragraph 9) D. I have been taught to regard such things as in some measure idolatrous (Paragraph 9) NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 7
Answer Key 1. 1. London 2. A hotel in the Carpathian Mountains 3. The Borgo Pass (which is on the way to Bukovina) 4. Count Dracula's Castle 4. They are frightened on Jonathan's behalf. 2A. D 2B. A 3A. B 3B. C They believe that evil awaits at Count Dracula's castle. They don't want Jonathan to visit Count Dracula. 5A. C 5B. B NT Reading Lesson 2: Narrative Reading Strategies Page 8