CCSS Activity One

I really enjoyed this activity because it helped me see how the standards are scaffolding up to meet the anchor standard. It helped me see the transition and changes from each grade. I liked that I had to think about how to put it into my own words because that helps me think about it and understand it better.

Anchor Standard:	Grade 1: RL.1.3	Grade 2: RL.2.3	Grade 3: RL.3.3
Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.	Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.	Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.	Describe characters in a story (e.g. their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
Shifts Between Grade Levels:	In first grade they are describing the main characters, settings and events taken place in a story. They need to describe each of them with support of the details in the book.	In second grade they transition into looking at how the characters are responding to the events instead of just identifying them. In second grade they are also looking at challenges the characters might be facing in the book.	In third grade they are being to examine the characters more critically. They are looking into how the characters are feeling and what motivates the character’s actions. They are looking at how the character’s actions are effecting the story.
How It Can Be Taught Across Instructional Levels:	In first grade I think this can be done by reading picture books to the class and talking in detail about the characters and settings of the book as a class. I would ask the class questions such as ‘what happened in the book that makes you think that?’ I think that this can be taught by reading and looking at the pictures of the books with the class.	In second grade I can see the shift into slightly more critical thinking skills when looking at characters. This can be taught a number of different ways. This can be taught by having students break into book groups and have them discuss the major events in the story as well as the characters’ actions when these events occur. Another way to teach this would be to read a book as a class and have a class discussion on the characters’ actions when major events take place.	In third grade there is a larger push to emphasize critical thinking skills. This shift would be best taught in small reading groups. Kids can be separated into different book groups and they can answer questions and have discussions about how the characters are changing and why. They could make predictions on how they think the character’s actions will affect the story’s ending.