Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons. Close reading is a careful and methodical rereading that requires critical thinking about the text. Students must focus on what the author is saying and what his or her purpose is. Students need to pay attention to what the words and the structure of the text are telling us. Within a close read, there must be text dependent questions that require students to go back into the text and search for the answers. These questions should promote students to think about the text and the authors purpose.
On the first day of this unit you want to just read the book for pure enjoyment! You may want to stop on page 25 and have the kids predict what Pete saw when he looked down at his shirt.
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Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons Day 1 Prediction
Before reading the book, you want to go over some very important elements that all readers should be thinking about as they read or listen to a read. It is important to know that the first read, should be about just reading or listening to the text. It is in the reread that you want to really focus on the following elements.
What is the author telling you here?
What are the important words or unknown words?
What is the structure (rhyming, repetitive words or phrases, tone) and what does it tell us?
What is the author’s purpose?
Read the book.
Go over a picture card (Does not matter the order). Discuss the details in the picture. For example, say you are discussing picture card number 4.
You can say the following:
"Let’s look at this sequence card. Take a moment just to look at this card. The illustrator is telling us many details about the story here. Turn to your pair share partner and share the details you see."
Have them share whole group the details they came up with their pair share partners. Some examples are:
Pete is having ice cream.
He is having 2 scoops of ice cream!
He is thinking of the number one.
There is only one button left on his shirt.
Pete is having chocolate and strawberry ice cream
You may want to write their answers on chart paper.
Now have them determine which detail on the chart is the key detail. Which one is absolutely necessary in order to retell the story. Once they determine which one is the key detail, unfold the picture card so they can see the answer. Read it together.
Do this for 3 of the 6 picture sequence cards. When done, tell them that they have just come up with the 3 key details in the story!
Pass out the annotation work sheets and have them annotate through illustrations, dictation, labels or sentences what they got out of today’s reread and key detail lesson.
If there is a word they did not understand, or are unsure about something, you should encourage them to annotate that as well. Their annotations should show evidence of thinking!!!!
Day 4
Go over all the key detail picture cards. Tell them that today they will put all the key details in order. They will be able to retell the whole story by using the key details.
The chart should look like this once it’s completed!
Day 5 & 6
Tell them the following:
The following are examples of some text dependent questions
Today you really want to focus on making a connection to the story.
Focus on the following text to self connections:
What does this story remind you of?
Can you relate to Pete in any way?
How will this story affect you in the future?
Use the think-aloud strategy to model how to make self to text connections by sharing with your students a time when you lost something. Example: (personal)
"This story reminds me of when I lost my favorite umbrella at the ball game. I went to the restroom and accidently left it in one of the stalls. I can relate to Pete the Cat because I know how it feels to lose something. But! I cannot relate to Pete’s reaction! I got very upset when I first realized I left my favorite umbrella at the stadium! Now, I can better understand and connect with this story! I think the next time I lose something I will remember that stuff comes and stuff goes."
Give them a moment to think of anything in this story that reminds them of a situation in their own life. Have them share with their pair share partners.
You can even add an extra day to this unit by allowing all students an opportunity to share their experience in front of the class. I have a plastic microphone that my students use when they are sharing in front of the class. They love it!!!
I have noticed a BIG difference in their writing when they have the opportunity to share orally what they are going to write about prior to writing it!
Pass out self to text worksheet and have students write and illustrate their personal experience. For students that have not mastered writing conventions, have them dictate their experience. You can write it on the lines provided.
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