Crystal

Burns

Reading Mini-Lesson

Mini-Lesson Topic:
I will focus on questioning during the mini lesson, students will be asking questions to
increase their understanding and creating meaning of the text they are reading.

Mentor Text:
The Cats in Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse and illustrated Wendy Watson, published
by Scholastic Press in 2004.
I choose this book because there is an opportunity for students to ask many questions
while reading it in order to create a deeper meaning of the story. I would read this book in
connection with the social studies unit over WWII and the Holocaust. This would provide
students with the opportunity to make personal connections to the content and the book as
well as realizing how brutal the Holocaust was (making it real for students).

Desired Results:
Common Core State Standard(s)
o CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 68 text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Students will be able to use questioning as a technique to increase their understanding
and create meaning of the text they are reading. Using this technique will improve
students ability in reading.

Assessment:
Students will record the questions they thought of before, during, and after the read aloud
in their reading journal. After the read aloud is over students will discuss with a partner
possible answers to their questions and write a response to any of the questions they were
able to figure out an answer for. Students will also write about why they think it is
important to ask questions when reading.
Students will be assessed for their understanding the concept of questioning during
reading and its importance based on what they wrote in their reading journals from the
read aloud of the mentor text.

Teaching Point:
The teaching focus is to have students ask themselves questions while reading and use
clues found in the book, prior knowledge, and talking with classmates to figure out the
answers and create a deeper meaning of the reading. A students engagement in the
lesson and when reading is critical to their personal growth and success in reading.

Materials:
Reading Journals
Pencils/Pens
Mentor Text
Deeper Questioning Notes

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Connections:
For the past week we have been reading and rereading stories to practice questioning
while reading to create a deeper meaning and understanding of the story. Each read aloud
I demonstrated questioning as a technique to create understanding using think alouds,
turn-and-talks, and having class discussions after reading to answer the questions. We
have also talked about why it is important to ask questions while reading.

Direct Teaching/Guided Practice:

1. Students will come together on the carpet area and we will be discussing how questioning
has helped them in create meaning and understanding of the books we have been reading.
a. Is there any part about questioning that students like?
b. Is there any part about questioning that students find hard or dont like?
2. I will quickly review questioning technique (to activate prior knowledge), as a class we
wrote it down, and display it where every student can easily see it.
a. Good readers:
i. Ask questions to clarify meaning.
ii. Generate questions before, during, and after reading.
iii. Know that many of the most intriguing questions are not answered
explicitly in the text but are left to the readers to interpret.
b. Types of questions:
i. What do you wonder about the book before reading?
ii. Do you have any predictions/ideas what the book is going to be about?
iii. What questions do you have while you read?
iv. Whats going to happen next?
v. What does the author mean by that?
vi. Why did that happen?
vii. What does that word mean?
viii. Where have I hear/read/seen this before?
ix. Is this similar to my life or a particular event that I have experienced?
x. Is this possible?
c. Questions vary from person to person and from one book to another.
3. Inform students to write their questions down in their reading journal as they think of
them and separate them into three categories: before, during, and after. There will be
points in the story where I will stop to discuss questions and talk to a partner.
4. Introduce the mentor text.
5. Examine the cover and read the end flaps of the dust cover.
a. Allow students to talk to a partner and make predictions to what the book is going
to be like.
b. Students will write any questions they have about the book so far.
i. Think Aloud: I know that good readers ask questions before they read,
some questions I am asking include; what do cats have to do with the
story; what kind of event is the story based around; and where is Krasinski
Square?
6. Read Mentor Book (pre-marked by sticky notes where I intend to stop)
a. Stop at opening 3 turn-and-talk about questions and book. (1 minute)

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i. Students will talk to a partner about what has happened so far in the book
what they have noticed and what questions they already have about the
book.
ii. Think Aloud: I know that good readers ask questions while they are
reading, some questions I am asking are why isnt the little girl getting
much food and why does she always say that she puts on her Polish
clothes and keeps referencing Polish things?
b. Stop at opening 5 make predictions to what is going to happen next with a
partner and write questions. (1 minutes)
i. Students will make predictions on what is going to happen next.
ii. They will share their predictions with a partner and will write down any
new questions they have in their journals.
iii. The book is about to have a shift in the story going form a semi-happy
story to something coming up to endanger their lives and the plan.
c. Stop at opening 7 make predictions and tell a partner. (1 minute)
i. Students will make a prediction on the kind of plan the main character has
come up with to alleviate the threat of danger and allow the plan to be
carried out.
ii. They will be talking about it with a partner and hear their partners
predictions.
d. Stop at opening 10 make predictions with a partner and write down any
questions. (1 minutes)
i. This is the last opening before the story reveals how the new plan pans out
and leads into the ending of the story.
ii. Students will make their last predictions, talk about it with a partner, and
write any questions they came up with.
iii. Think Aloud: On this page I am wondering how the devised plan is going
to work? If it fails their could be some major consequences for the
smugglers with food.
7. Class discussion about the book:
a. Students will have a little bit of time after the end of the story to write down any
lingering questions.
i. What questions do you have now that we have finished the book, since
good readers ask questions before, during, and after reading.
ii. Were you able to find the answers to some of the questions you had before
we started reading? I know I was able to figure out where Krasinski
Square is and that story was based around the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland
during WWII.
b. What time period what this book based in?
i. Talk about WWII & Holocaust
ii. Jews faced many dangerous situations
c. What stood out to you in the reading?
d. Do you think you would do the same thing if you were in the characters shoes?
i. Pretend to be a different religion/nationality to save your self?
ii. Helping those that are still suffering from where you escaped?
e. What are some of the questions you came up with during the reading?

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8. Turn-and-talk with a partner about possible answers to your questions and record any
new questions you have after the discussion.
9. Students write answers to questions in your journal and state why it is important to ask
questions while they are reading.
a. As students write in their reading journals I will be walking around the class and
provide students with assistance.

Link/Closing:
Today and everyday when you are reading you can think of questions about the reading
to create a clear understanding and deeper meaning of any text that you read. Being able
to answer these questions ensures that as the reader you are and can comprehend what
you are reading. It also creates an enjoyable reading experience, you can find a deeper
meaning within the reading, and you are able make links to prior knowledge and/or
personal experiences as well. Questions can be answered through the reading, using
additional sources, prior knowledge, or by discussing your reading and questions with
someone.

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