Objectives Rationales Assessments Tasks Standards

To improve students’ 1. We want the Formative: “Syntax 1. Modeling will be CE 1.1.2, CE 1.1.4, CE
ability to make students to Surgery” – students will used to scaffold 1.1.6, CE 1.3.6, CE
inferences about: construct relate pronouns to nouns assessments. We 1.3.7, CE 1.5.3, CE 1.5.4
1. how war can meaning from and use the context to will show
affect families My Brother Sam define unknown words. students an 2.1.2, 2.1.12, 2.2.2,
and society. is Dead, which This can be done as a example of how
2. current social the author gives class on the overhead we related
contexts in the text. transparency or students pronouns to
3. how to use 2. Students will can work individually as nouns and etc.
outside expand their they mark the passages. 2. Develop students
knowledge into thinking by Summative: Verbal understanding R.NT.08.01
their incorporating retelling of the story. about what is
interpretations. what they Students will record necessary to R.CM.08.01
learned into their summary include in the R.CM.08.02
Read and understand a future individually. A rubric retelling of a R.CM.08.03
sample of historical interpretations will outline what story. R.CM.08.04
fiction about other texts, students should add to
and even life. their summary; such as R.MT.08.01
3. Exposure to a setting, character names,
slightly different relationships, and etc.
genre The students should
continue to practice
retelling the same story
until they meet the
requirements met on the
rubric. A Retellings
Progress Chart can be
used for this. *

*This exercise has been modified from a lesson provided in Kylene Beers’ book When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do
 Retelling Rubric

Name: __________________________ Date: ___________________________

Directions: Use the following criteria to shape how you will retell the story of My Brother Sam Is Dead. Tell the
story chronologically and explain important plot lines of the story. Feel free to include the inferences you made
during the “Syntax Surgery” assignment. In each row, there is a rating from 0-3. On this scale, 0 means the retelling
did not include this specific detail, and 3 indicates that the detail had been successfully and completely discussed.

The Retelling Includes:

1. An introduction 0- no introduction 1 –the title and 2- a few general 3- a main idea in the
author are identified facts are given book is stated
2. Character 0- just a list of 1-characters are 2- details for every 3-relationships of the
Description names, or less named with a few character; characters presented
details given on most protagonists and in context to the
or all of them antagonists are chosen main idea
identified
3. Explanation of 0- not done 1- basic plot summary 2- several different 3- significance of
main events conflicts and conflicts and
resolutions are resolutions relates to
identified the main chosen idea
4. Organization 0-makes no sense; 1- flows loosely; 2- follows a general 3-follows a definite
facts are all over the presentation jumps direction throughout logical process in a
place around in places clear, cohesive,
systematic manner
5. Text-to-self 0-none made 1-very few made 2-few are made, but 3- several well
connection they are elaborated elaborated
connections that
 clearly support the
main idea
6. Text-to-text 0-none made 1-very few made 2-few are made, but 3- several well
connection they are elaborated elaborated
connections that
clearly support main
idea

Total Score___________