Mini Lesson Analysis

Option 1: Mini Lesson
Readers can learn many things from the characters in their stories. It is essential that we teach students how to pay attention to the characters in their stories so that they may better understand what they are reading and develop a deeper understanding of text.
Goal: Readers find clues in the story to support their thinking
Mini-lesson: Readers learn to find clues in the text to support their thinking about what a character is thinking, feeling, and acting
Connection
"Readers you are doing a great job identifying the inside and outside traits of the characters in your stories. You are also inferring what characters are feeling, thinking, and acting, by not only paying attention to what is going on in the stories,

Let's look at a book we have read before, Chester's Way. We agreed that when Lilly first wanted to be friends with Chester and Wilson, they did not want to be friends with her. Now I need to find evidence in the text to prove this. When I am looking for evidence in the text, I usually reread parts of the book to see if I can find what I am looking for. Oh, look! Here it says that when Lilly would ask Chester and Wilson to play, they would say they were busy. Also, here it says that when Lilly would call them on the phone, they would disguise their voices and say they weren't home. Listen to this, it also says that if Lilly was walking on one side of the street, Chester and Wilson would cross to the other side and hide! All this text helps supports my thinking!
Active Engagement
"Okay, readers, now I am going to give you a turn. Last week we read, Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon, and we determined that Molly Lou Melon did not care what other people thought of her. I would like you and your partner to reread the text and find evidence that supports the fact that Molly Lou Melon did not care what other people thought of her. Please place sticky notes on the pages you find this evidence and be prepared to share with the class.