Reading Strategy: Plot Profiles Subject: Language Arts (Reading) Grade: Fifth/Sixth Grade Purpose The purpose of this

lesson is to have students determine the main events of the story and use the post-reading strategy, plot profiles, to appraise and rate the selected events of the story based on what they added to the story, how the student felt about them, or how they affected the main characters. The students will share why they rated an event as they did and express their personal evidence for that rating. This reading strategy helps students comprehend the events of a story and how they personally felt about the events. This allows them to make connections to the text. This strategy shows how each person who reads a book feels differently about it, evident by how each students plot profile will be unique. Anticipatory Set The teacher will start by sharing a Thanksgiving tradition his/her family has and showing an artifact from the tradition. For example, I will bring in a Christmas ornament and explain that I receive one every year from my Grandma. The teacher will explain how the artifact helps him/her remember the family tradition. The teacher will ask the students if they have any artifacts that help them remember family traditions. The teacher will call on several students to share examples. Procedure 1. The teacher will hand out the plot profiles to the students and a sheet of lined paper. Using the document camera, the teacher will read The Lotus Seed. The teacher will model how the student will listen to The Lotus Seed and pick out ten events that occurred. The teacher will model writing down an event using the first page. The first event would be the grandmother seeing the emperor cry when he lost his throne. Have students write that event down as their first event. 2. The teacher will continue to read The Lotus Seed. While the teacher reads, the students will write nine more events from the story. The teacher should mention that there are twelve pages in the story so they cannot wait until closer to the end. 3. At the completion of The Lotus Seed, the teacher will put a blank copy of the plot profile chart under the document camera. They will explain to the students that they will be rating their ten events. They will rate them on a scale: wow, exciting, very interesting, or calm. The students can analyze each event based on: its impact on the character(s) in the story, their level of interest in this piece of information, or how that event made or did

not make the story interesting. The teacher will first model how they will use the plot profile chart by rating the first event, the day the grandmother saw the emperor cry because he lost his throne. The students will do the same thing. The teacher will need to explain that they will rate the event on their own so their rating may be different from the teachers and their neighbors. The teacher will explain how they will do the same thing with each of their events. 4. After the modeling, the teacher will have the students rate the rest of the events on the scale. They may discuss the different events with their neighbor. While they rate the events, they need to think of their personal justification for why they rated each of their events as they did. 5. Once the students complete their plot profiles, have the class discuss the different events they chose and how they rated that event on the scale. Students who picked the same event should share their ratings to show that readers have a different opinion. When a student is sharing, they need to justify their response. 6. Discuss with the students about the importance of each event in The Lotus Seed. They are all important to the story, but their impact on the individual reader in terms of its impact on the character(s) in the story, their level of interest in this event, or how that event made or did not make the passage interesting is different. Just because a student rated as a calm event, does not mean it is not important. It just means that the reader felt it was not an interesting event perhaps. This discussion is to make sure that students understand that the lower rated events on their plot profile should not be taken out because someone else may have rated them higher. Each has a different impact on the reader. Ask students how they rated each event. What contexts did they use to rate the event? Modeling Choosing Events The teacher will begin reading The Lotus Seed. After the first page, the teacher will stop and ask the students what event is happening on this page. The students will respond that the grandmother saw the emperor cry because he lost his throne. Strategy The teacher will place a copy of the plot profile sheet under the document camera. The teacher will model how to use the plot profile for the students using the first event. The teacher will explain that which rating they would give the event and why they felt that way: wow, exciting, very interesting, or calm. They will place a dot above the event number at the rating they gave the event. Have students do the first event on their own plot profile. Remind them not

to copy yours but rather, have them think about the event in the context of the passage and rate it on their own. Walk around to make sure that students understand how to fill out the plot profile. Assessment The teacher will assess the students understanding of how to use a plot profile by walking around and observing students as they work independently or with a partner. The teacher will be listening for students supporting and justifying why they rated the event as they did. The teacher will listen for this in the large class discussion. During the discussion of the plot profiles, the teacher should listen for the students understanding of their usefulness. They help us understand the story and the events that happen. They help the reader decide what kind of events they find exciting. The teacher should assess the students to make sure they realize that each event is important but that some are more exciting or less exciting to each individual reader. The teacher should encourage them to share by asking questions. Discuss with students the idea behind plot profiles. How is each event important to the story? If you ranked an event as calm or very interesting, does that make it any less important? How did you support your ranking? What did you base your rankings on (impact on the reader, main characters, interest in that piece of information etc.)? Did the plot profile help you understand which pieces helped you the reader become engaged in the story? Comprehend the story? After the students complete their plot profiles, the students will choose two to three events and write a short paragraph justifying their rating on the scale. Another option would be to have them draw a picture representing their justification. This allows the teacher to see which students understand the plot profiles and their comprehension of the story. Childrens Text Information Garland, Sherry. The Lotus Seed. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers, 1993. ISBN: 0-15-249465-0 References( 2 more) Wolf, Shelby A. Interpreting Literature with Children. New York: Routledge Taylor and Francis Group, 2004. Print. Yopp, Ruth H., and Hallie K. Yopp. Literature-Based Reading Activities. Fifth ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2010. 104-06. Print.

Two other strategies Text Edged Drama: Text Edged Drama would be another after reading activity to do with The Lotus Seed. In Text Edged Drama, students think of an additional scene that could be added to the story. In this case, the students would think of another section that could be added to the end of the story. What happened after each member of the family receives their own lotus seed? Text Edged Drama allows for cross curricular integration. Adding an addition scene to The Lotus Seed will allow students to incorporate writing with reading. They may consider how the author, Sherry Garland, writes the story and choose to follow this as a model or take another approach.