1. Reading Workshop Unit of Study
Independent Reading
6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade
Concepts Character motivation,
Character traits,Fluency,
“Just Right”books,
Narration, Plot, Scenes,
Setting, Stamina,
Tension, Theme
Analysis,Character, Plot,
Setting, Central Idea,
Theme, Fiction,Critique,
Voice, Point of View,
Scenes, Internal and
External Conflict,Inference
Conflict,Dialogue, “Just
Right”Books,Narration,
Plotline, Pointof View,
Scenes, Setting,Tension,
Theme, Tone,Word
Choice
Resources Stargirl, by JerrySpinelli
I Read It But I Don’tGet
It, byChrisTovani
WebResources
SuggestedBookList
Stargirl, by JerrySpinelli
I Read It But I Don’tGet
It, byChrisTovani
WebResources
SuggestedBookList
Notes for the teacher, pg 3
WebResources
SuggestedBookList
Session 1 Memoriesof Reading
Teacher: Prepare
Memory Timeline
Reading folders
Pre-UnitAssessment
ExitSlips
Teacher: Select a book
and preparesections of
enjoyablemoments
PossibleBook Pass
Post-itnotes
Reading folders
Online sitesfor book
recommendations
Pre-UnitAssessment
Teacher: Select a book
and preparesections of
striking,intriguing,and
enjoyablemoments
PossibleBook Pass
Post-itnotes
Reading folders
Online sitesfor book
recommendations
Pre-UnitAssessment
ExitSlips
Session 2 “How to Choose a “Just
Right” Book for
IndependentReading”
PossibleBook Pass
“How to Choose a “Just
Right” Book for
IndependentReading”
7th
Grade Independent
Reading UnitGuidelines
GoldilocksStrategy
Teacher: Haveself-
selected bookavailable
formodeling
PossibleBook Pass
Exit Slip
“How to Choose a “Just
Right” Book for
IndependentReading”
8th
Grade Independent
Reading UnitGuidelines
Teacher: Haveself-
selected bookavailable
formodeling
PossibleBook Pass
2. 6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade
Session 3 All studentshavea self-
selected fiction bookby
this point.
IndependentReading
Log
6th
Grade Independent
Reading UnitGuidelines
All studentshavea self-
selected fiction bookby
this point.
Daily ReadingLog
Character Attribute
TrackingTool
Teacher: Haveself-
selected bookavailable
formodeling;begin
anchorchartof literary
definitions.
Mid-UnitAssessment
All studentshavea self-
selected fiction bookby
this point.
Daily ReadingLog
My Author’sWords
Teacher: Haveself-
selected bookavailable
formodeling author’s
specific word choice.
Session4 Interactingwithtexts
and self-monitoring:
Interactingvoice and
distractingvoice
Teacher: Preparean
exampleof monitoring
yourinteracting and
distracting voice
Reading folders
My Reading Voices
Interactingwithtexts
and self-monitoring:
Interactingvoice and
distractingvoice
Teacher: Preparean
exampleof monitoring
yourinteracting and
distracting voice
Reading folders
Reading Log
Interactingwithtexts
and self-monitoring:
Connectingwithmain
characters and
analyzingtheirpointsof
view
Teacher: Prepare
examplesof pointof
view fromthetext you
are reading;havean
exampleof a completed
characterchart
Reading folders
Character chart
Session 5 Interacting with texts
and self-monitoring:
Connectingwitha
character
Teacher: Choosea
passagefromyourbook
in which yourstudents
would be ableto readily
visualize whatthe
characteris doing.
Reading folders
Connectingwith My
Character
Interacting with texts
and self-monitoring:
Connectingwithmain
characters while
analyzingpointsofview
Teacher: Preparean
exampleof pointof view
using an ordinary school
day story;presentthe
teacher’sview;the
student’sview;the
principal’sview
Reading folders
The True Story of the
Three Little Pigs by Jon
Scieszka& the original
Three Little Pigs
VennDiagram
Interacting with texts
and self-monitoring:
Analyzecharacter
conflictby citingliteral
informationand
evaluatingdialogue
Teacher: Prepare
examplesof character
conflictsfromyourtext.
Usethe “Thinking about
Thinking”tool to create
an example.
Reading folders
Thinkingabout Thinking
Mid-UnitAssessment
3. 6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade
Session 6 Interacting with texts
and self-monitoring:
Inferringwhat kindsof
people characters are
and whatthey want
Teacher: Preparean
excerptto depict the
kind of person yourmain
characteris; prepare
anotherexcerptto show
whatthe character
wants
Reading folders
My Main Character (top
section only)
Mid-UnitAssessment
Interacting with texts
and self-monitoring:
Readers empathize with
characters’ conflicts
(External and Internal)
Teacher: Useone of the
student’sbooksto model
how to usethe “Conflict
and Personal
Connections”Chart
Reading folders
Conflictand Personal
Connections
Exploring Genre –
Elements and Structures:
Readers analyze how
scenes and narration
contributeto the rising
and fallingtensionofa
story
Teacher: Preview the
film Titanic and list
scenesand narration
you noticed that
contributeto therising
and falling tension in the
movie;prepareexcerpt
scenesfromthe text you
are reading to relate the
rising and falling action
Reading folders
Clipsfrom the movie
Titanic(or the moviein
its entirety)
Scenesand Narration
Guide
Exit Slip
Session 7 Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers identifyscenes
as the buildingblocksof
the story
Teacher: Preparea
section fromyourbook
thatexemplifiesthe
differencebetween
scene and narration.
(ex.Stargirl)
Reading folders
Scenes& Narration
Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers examine both
narrationand scenes as
significantelementsof
fiction,intheir relation
to the movement of the
story.
Teacher: Useone of the
student’sbooks (or
excerptsfromthe book
you are reading) to
demonstratesceneand
narration(ex.Jumped)
Reading folders
Scenesand Narration
Tracker
4. 6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade
Session 8 Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers identifythe
risingtensionin stories.
The anticipatethe
situationwill get worse
before the resolution
Teacher: Prepareto
discusshowyesterday’s
excerptuses sceneand
narration to increase the
story’stension
Reading folders
Story Plotline
Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers followthe plot
to identifythe tension in
the story.
Teacher: Useone of the
student’sbooks (or
excerptsfromthe book
you are reading) to
demonstratetension(ex.
Jumped)
Reading folders
Plot Chart
Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers identifythe
themes of a story
Teacher: Prepareto
demonstratehowyou
determinetheme using
the bookyou are
currently reading.
Reading folders
Theme Tracker
Session 9 Interacting with Texts
and Self-Monitoring:
Readers watch
characters carefully.
Readers revise and
refine their thinking
aboutcharacters.
Teacher: Using the novel
you havebeen reading,
prepareto modelfor
studentshowyour
thinking aboutyour
characterhaschanged.
Reading folders
My MainCharacter
sheetfrom Session6
Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers use all the
informationtheyhave
gathered duringthe
readingprocess to
analyzethe work asa
whole andprovidea
well-thought-out
critique.
Teacher: Using the novel
you havebeen reading,
prepareto modelfor
studentsa finished
critique of thebook.
Reading folders
Book Critique
Post-Assessment
Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers use all the
informationtheyhave
gathered duringthe
readingprocess to
analyzethe work asa
whole andprovidea
well-thought-out
critique.
Teacher: Using the novel
you havebeen reading,
prepareto modelfor
studentsa finished
critique of thebook.
Reading folders
Book Critique Rough
Draft
Critique Rubric
Post-Assessment
5. 6th
Grade 7th
Grade 8th
Grade
Session 10 Exploring genre–
Elements and Structures:
Readers notice and
connect recurring
imagesor ideas inthe
story that pointtoward
the theme.
Teacher: Using the novel
you havebeen reading,
prepareto modelfor
studentshowtheauthor
included repeating
imagesor ideasin the
text.
Reading folders
The Theme of My Book
Is…
Developing the Identity
of the Reader:
Readers applylearning
from the unitto make
decisionsabouttheir
next book choices.
Reading folders
CompletedBook
Critiques
Exit Slips
Session 11 Developing the Identity
of the Reader:
Whenreaders learn
how to be more
efficientand effective,
they have more positive
imagesof who they are
as readers.
Teacher: Review the
“IndependentReading
Unit Reflection”and
develop responsesbased
on yourexperience in
this unit.
Reading folders
IndependentReading
UnitReflection
ReflectiononReading
Log
ReflectiononMy Effort
ReflectiononMyselfas
a Reader
Post-UnitAssessment