“Today we are looking specifically at the purpose. Why are we reading this text? Where is it relevant? And we’re going to focus specifically on literal questions. We’re going to look at the questions that the teacher asks related to ‘right there’ kinds of things–the general understanding and the key details–and we are going to think about students’ engagement with a complex piece of text.” –Dr. Doug Fisher
On Day 25, Dr. Fisher sets the stage to view a video from a close reading lesson that focuses on identifying a lesson’s purpose, effective use of literal questions, and student engagement during a close reading lesson.
Analyze the video demo lesson. Use the questions in the Viewing Guide for a Close Reading Lesson to unpack the close reading techniques used in the lesson.
Consider viewing and discussing this video demo lesson with colleagues. The questions in the viewing guide can also be used in a professional learning community to promote an inquiry-based approach to reflecting on instructional practices.
After viewing and reflecting on the instructional practices used in the lesson, consider using the Learning Log to reflect on what you’ve learned.
This guide can be used to unpack the close reading techniques used in the video demo lesson. The questions in this guide can also be used in a professional learning community to promote an inquiry-based approach to reflect on instructional practices.
This log can be used to capture new learnings as you develop close reading techniques.
