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Advanced/Gifted and Talented: An advanced/gifted and talented tool is an idea for a complex, multi-step instructional task that requires students to apply knowledge and skills of multiple objectives that support one indicator. Tasks require students to interpret, analyze, and evaluate text at an appropriate level of complexity and embed a variety of differentiation strategies to challenge advanced readers. Many of these strategies and activities can be adapted for use with all students.

Standard 3.0 Comprehension of Literary Text

Indicator 2. Analyze text features to facilitate understanding of literary texts

Objective c. Identify and explain how informational aids such as introductions and overviews, materials lists, timelines, captions, glossed words, labels, numbered steps, bulleted lists, footnoted words, pronunciation keys, transition words, end notes, works cited, other information aids encountered in informational texts contribute to meaning

Other Objectives Addressed
a.Identify and explain how organizational aids such as the title of the book, story, poem, or play, titles of chapters, subtitles, subheadings contribute to meaning
b.Identify and explain how graphic aids such as pictures and illustrations, punctuation, print features contribute to meaning

Instructional Task
Students will analyze text features in order to facilitate the interpretation of a play. The students will form a drama company consisting of directors, actors, and a publicity department. Each team will plan one aspect of play production. The teacher will organize a drama company meeting at which each team will defend its production plan based on an analysis of the text features. As an option, the drama company may perform the play for an audience of younger students (authentic product).

Development of Task
  1. The teacher will provide students with a play written at an appropriate level of complexity.
  2. Before reading, the teacher will ask students to think about how a play is actually produced by asking, "What is needed for the production of a play?" (actors, costumes, sets, directors, publicity, etc.)
  3. During reading, the teacher will ask students to note evidence of how text features are used to suggest elements of play production, such as how the actors speak and what they do (analysis). Students will identify examples of organizational, graphic, and informational text features in the play and explain what element of play production could be understood from those features (Objectives a - c).
  4. After reading, the teacher will organize the students into a drama company. Students should select the roles they want to play in the company: Directors, actors, or the publicity department (choice). Each team will analyze text features in order to create a plan for play production (synthesis).
    1. Directors will analyze text features with a focus on organizational aids (titles, subtitles) and informational aids (footnotes, captions, biographical information, introductions, photographs). The directors will present to the company an overall interpretation of how the play should be produced, including the main ideas that should be emphasized, the set design, and the costumes. The directors will explain to the company how they used text features to help them plan the play production (logical-mathematical and verbal linguistic intelligences).
    2. Actors will analyze the text features with a focus on graphic aids (punctuation, illustrations, print features). Each actor will take the role of a character and present to the company "auditions" of a brief selection from the play. The actors will explain to the company how the play's text features helped them interpret the characters and bring the characters to life (kinesthetic/tactile learning style).
    3. The publicity department will analyze text features with a focus on organizational aids (titles, subtitles) and informational aids (footnotes, captions, biographical information, introductions, photographs). The publicity department will design a playbill with a cover illustration, list of scenes, characters and actors; background information about the author and play, photographs of popular actors that could play the characters, and advertisements. The publicity department will explain how they used text features to design the playbill (visual-spatial intelligence).
  5. The teacher will organize a meeting of the drama company in which each team will present its work and explain how text features were analyzed to develop the production plan. Each team will evaluate the extent to which the other team's plan is based on a thorough analysis of the text features (evaluation).
/instruction/advanced/reading/grade5/xml/3A2c.xml
Resources for Objective 3.A.2.c:
Lesson Seeds | ADVANCED/G-T |