Tea Leaves Guided Reading Realistic Fiction 680L Written by Frederick Lipp and illustrated by Lester Coloma KEY IDEA Shanti lives in the tea leaf covered mountains of Sri Lanka with her mother and has never seen the ocean that surrounds her island home. This picture book tells how she achieves her dearest wish, a visit to the sea, and what happens when she returns home. LITERACY STANDARDS ADDRESSED IN THIS PLAN ISBN 978-1-62889-224-6 RL.4.3* MAIN FOCUS Key Ideas & Details Sessions 1, 2, 3 Determine the challenging major events in the story and describe how characters respond/ contribute or how these events progress the plot line. *standard adapted from another grade level RL.4.4 Craft & Structure Sessions 1, 2, 3 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean). RL.4.6* MAIN FOCUS Craft & Structure Sessions 2, 3 Describe how the point of view of the story s narrator impacts the telling of the story (e.g., establishes understanding of one point of view over others) and the effect it has on the reader. *standard adapted from another grade level RL.4.7 MAIN FOCUS Integration of Knowledge & Ideas Sessions 2, 3 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. RL.4.10 Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the grades 4 5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. SL.4.2 Comprehension & Collaboration Sessions 1, 2, 3 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. L.4.5a Vocabulary Acquisition & Use Sessions 1, 2 Explain the meaning of simple similes and metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context. RF.4.3 Phonics & Word Recognition Additional Instruction Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. RF.4.3a Phonics & Word Recognition Additional Instruction Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context. RF.4.4b Fluency Session 2 Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. W.4.3 Text Types & Purposes Writing Task Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. W.4.8* Research to Build & Present Knowledge Sessions 1, 2, 3 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question. *standard adapted from another grade W.4.10 Range of Writing Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of disciplinespecific tasks, purposes, and audiences. L.4.4a Vocabulary Acquisition & Use Additional Instruction Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 1
Session 1 Text Selection: pp. 3 11 Learning Focus RL.4.3* Students read closely to determine which major events in the story are challenges for the main character and to describe how she and her family respond to the challenges, citing text evidence for support. Key Idea: Text Selection In this selection, readers meet Shanti, a young girl who lives in Sri Lanka, and her mom, who picks tea leaves for a living. One day in school, Shanti listens to a seashell and becomes very interested in learning all about the sea. Previewing the Text 5 minutes Read the title and author and illustrator credits with students. Invite them to study the illustration on the front and back covers and to read the backcover blurb. Let s look at the front cover of this book. Based on the title and illustrations, what do you think this book will be about? a girl who collects shells; a girl who has something to do with tea leaves Read the back cover quietly to yourselves. What details support your impressions of the cover? Well, I think the girl in the picture wants to see the ocean, so maybe she will go there and collect shells. It says her mother picks tea leaves. I think these tea leaves must be an important part of the story because they are the title of the book. VOCABULARY RL.4.4 Introduce students to the country name Sri Lanka. Have students use a dictionary to find the correct pronunciation of the name of this country and then use a map to locate this island nation off the coast of India. Corrective Feedback Have students closely reread the first pages to identify the main character and a challenge she is facing. Encourage them to silently reread, stopping at key points to think and talk together about their understandings. READING the Text CLOSELY 10 minutes Explain the learning focus for students. Have them read pages 3 5. Check to see how they are doing with the application of the focus and provide support if needed. Then have students read through page 11. What have we learned about the main character of this story so far? Who would like to share? I learned her name is Shanti. She walks to school. She lives somewhere that looks like a jungle. The words said that she lives in the mountains of an island. In stories, characters deal with different problems or challenges. As we read today, let s pay close attention to the details that tell about a big event or challenge in the text and how the characters react to it. Then let s think about how this reaction contributes to the overall plot of this story. Who will share what you learned on pages 3 to 5? Shanti was on her way to school, but she realized she couldn t go until her mom wished her good luck. How does Shanti react to this problem? I think she feels upset and worried, because she runs back home. When she gets there, she kneels at her mom s feet to get her good wishes for the day. If you are satisfied that students can apply the focus, set the reading assignment for the session. If you are not, prompt students to return to pages 3 5 to read and think through the challenge, or problem, and how the characters respond. Our work as readers today is to continue to think about the relationship between how the characters respond to challenges they face and the overall plot of the story. I wonder what will happen now that Shanti has gotten her good wishes for the day. 2 Tea Leaves
DISCUSSING the Text 10 minutes Invite students to demonstrate their understanding of the story by sharing details about other challenges in the story and explaining how characters respond to these challenges. As they talk, encourage them to paraphrase the text and the information that s presented visually in the book in order to support their answers. Before we continue our discussion, let s review paraphrasing. Who can share what this is? It s when you share something in your own words. Let s begin by paraphrasing another challenge or problem a character faced and how he or she responded. Who would like to try? Shanti learned about the sea at school, and she realized that no one in her class had ever seen it. She wondered why no one had seen it. That s good paraphrasing of parts of this text. How does Shanti react when she realizes this? I think she s a little worried and bothered by this. I think she thinks it s weird that no one has seen the sea since they all live on an island. Focus on the simile a soft whisper like wind in the trees on page 7. Authors often use comparisons to make their writing more vivid. One type of comparison is called a simile. In a simile, the writer uses the word like or as to suggest similarities between two items. In this simile on page 7, what two items does the author compare? a whisper and the sound of the wind in the trees Who has ideas on what similarities these two items share? They both make a quiet, murmuring sound. So does this help us understand something about what Shanti heard? I think so. When Shanti held the shell to her ear, the sound she heard was like someone whispering or the wind rustling the leaves on a tree. Confirm students good use of the focus and encourage them to think about how characters responses to challenges contribute to the overall plot. You did a good job identifying Shanti s challenges so far. As you continue reading, remember to keep describing challenges and the different ways the characters respond. E-RESOURCE Formative Assessment: Comprehension Using the Quick Start Planner, note this session s learning focus. Observe each student s articulation and use of text evidence to evaluate individuals effective use of the learning focus. SL.4.2 Discussion Comprehension Discussion Tip So that you can determine whether students understood a text read aloud, have them orally state the main ideas and supporting details. L.4.5a VOCABULARY Figurative Language CHOICE COMPREHENSION: MAJOR EVENTS E-RESOURCE Formative Assessment Have students use the blackline master on page 10 to determine major events in Tea Leaves and how these events progress the plot line. Review students answers as you evaluate their mastery of this learning focus. RL.4.3* COMPREHENSION Major Events CHOICE CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE: COLLECT TEXT EVIDENCE E-RESOURCE Formative/Summative Assessment Have students use the blackline master on page 11 as they read. Students will collect details from the text to answer the question: What challenges or big events do the characters in this story face? How do they respond to them? Review students collected evidence as you evaluate their mastery of the learning focus. W.4.8*, RL.4.3* writing Gather Information Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 3
Session 2 Text Selection: pp. 3 11 LEARNING FOCUSES RL.4.3*, RL.4.6*, RL.4.7 Students return to the text to read closely and determine challenges and major events the characters face and how they respond, citing text evidence to support their ideas. Students also describe how the narrator s point of view impacts the telling of the story and the effect it has on the reader. At the same time, students make connections between the text and illustrations, identifying where each reflects specific descriptions. ELL SUPPORT L.4.4 Vocabulary Support vocabulary such as tea leaves, sea, and coconut trees in context using the ELL vocabulary strategies in Getting Started. Returning to the Text 5 minutes Ask students to reflect on the text read previously. Guide them to recall how they applied the learning focus to their reading. Let s quickly review our discussion from the last session. We talked about some of the major events and challenges Shanti faced in the beginning of this story. She is very curious about the sea and wants to learn all about it, but she s never seen it. Several of you found good details in the text to support this review. Reading the Text CLOSELY 10 minutes Explain the learning focuses. Invite students to reread page 8. Check to see how well they understood the focuses. If you are satisfied that students can apply them, set the reading assignment for the session. If not, provide corrective feedback as suggested on page 2 of this lesson plan. We learn about challenges and the characters responses to challenges through a narrator. Who is the narrator in this story? Does anyone have an idea? We don t know. I think it s someone not in the story. The author of this story uses a third-person narrator, which means that the narrator is not a character in the story. Notice that this narrator focuses mostly on Shanti s thoughts, actions, and interactions with other characters. For example, we don t know what Amma is doing when she is not with Shanti, but we know what Shanti is doing when she s not with Amma. Today, as we reread, let s think about how this point of view impacts the telling of the story and our response to it as readers. Let s also make connections between the text and the illustrations. Let s reread page 8. How does the narrator describe Shanti? The narrator tells us that Shanti waited at the edge of the garden until her mom was almost done working. The narrator also says, little twigs tore at her school dress and felt like ants biting her. What do you think about the narrator s language and tone here? The narrator s words make me feel for Shanti. I can relate to her. I sympathize with her. I can tell she is nervous to talk to her mom, so she is waiting for her mom to finish working. I think she must be very uncomfortable with the bushes pricking her, but she also seems determined. Does the illustration on pages 8 and 9 reflect the text? Who has thoughts about this? The picture shows how thick the tea bushes are and what the basket Shanti s mom held looks like. I see her mom through the bushes, the same way Shanti is looking at her. I think she looks a little nervous. Formative Assessment: Fluency Listen to each student read a portion of the text. Observe students fluency. If students need additional practice with fluency, provide the necessary support at the end of the session. Ask students to note words or phrases they find challenging for discussion after reading. 4 Tea Leaves
DISCUSSING the Text 10 minutes Support a discussion in which students identify challenges the characters face, explain how the narration affects the story, and make connections between details in the text and illustrations. As we talk today, remember to support your thoughts by paraphrasing evidence from the text. I d like to hear about how the narrator describes a challenge Shanti faces. Well, Shanti wants to ask her mom questions about the sea, but she is nervous about bothering her at work. The narrator s words help us see this. That is one challenge Shanti faces in this part of the story. How does the narrator describe her mom in this part? The narrator doesn t tell us what her mom is thinking, but does describe her as hot and tired and tells us her basket is very heavy. Who can add more about Shanti s mother? The picture on pages 8 and 9 shows her mom looking down at the leaves she s picking while wearing a big wicker basket on her back. From the look on her face, I can tell she s very tired from a long day of work in the hot fields. That s a good observation. What can we learn about Shanti s mom from her reaction to Shanti s questions? I think she is very kind, because even though she s tired and at work, she takes time to talk to Shanti and answer her questions. She even tells her a story about the ocean. Based on the narrator s description, the dialogue, and the images, how do we as readers feel about Shanti s mother? I like her. I think she s a really hard worker and a really good mom. She is very patient with her daughter and seems very kind. Focus on the phrase waves grow as big as our mountains on page 10. Do you remember our earlier discussion about similes? A simile is a type of comparison that an author might make to enhance descriptions. Remember, a simile includes the word like or as. What two items does the author compare in this simile? waves and mountains How are these two items similar? They are both things in nature. They can both get pretty tall and kind of powerful looking. What does this comparison help you understand? The waves of the sea there must get really, really big. If they look like they re as big as mountains, that s pretty big! Help students understand the benefits of examining the relationships among plot events, character responses, the narrative point of view, and the illustrative point of view. SL.4.2 discussion Comprehension Comprehension Share Pause from time to time as you are reading. Think about how the characters feel about events. Think about what the narrator s point of view is. Then decide how you feel about the events. Is your point of view the same as or different from the characters and narrator s? L.4.5a VOCABULARY Figurative Language TEACHER TIP Students can make a T-chart that lists each character in the left-hand column. In the right-hand column, they can list the character s actions and feelings. This will help them clarify different points of view. Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 5
We ve talked a lot about how the author uses a third-person narrator s point of view to tell about the challenges the characters face and how they respond to them. We ve also discussed how the illustrator supports the text by highlighting details from the story. How does identifying these relationships help us understand this book? Does anyone have some thoughts to share? I think when we identify challenges and what the character responses are, we understand why the plot of the story happens in the way that it does. When we think about the narrator s point of view, we can understand why we think or feel the way we do about the characters and the things that happen in the story. When we study the pictures along with the text, we see different details of the story more clearly. E-RESOURCE Formative Assessment: Comprehension Using the Quick Start Planner, note the session s learning focuses. Observe each student s articulation and use of text evidence to evaluate individuals effective use of the learning focuses. RF.4.4b fluency Accuracy, Rate, & Expression W.4.8*, RL.4.3* Writing Gather Information CHOICE FlUENCY FOLLOW-UP Fluency Practice Practice echo-reading to promote accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression. Follow this procedure: (1) Choose a passage from the text that contains some dialogue to emphasize expression. (2) Read the passage aloud, pausing to have students echo each sentence. For longer sentences, you may choose to have students echo units of meaning. When you encounter challenging words, slow your rate and emphasize pronunciation. CHOICE Constructed Response: collect text evidence E-RESOURCE Formative/Summative Assessment Have students continue to use the blackline master on page 11 for collecting evidence as they read. Students will continue to collect details from the text to answer the question: What challenges or big events do the characters in this story face? How do they respond to them? Review students collected evidence as you evaluate their mastery of the learning focuses. CHOICE CLOSE READING OPTIONS E-RESOURCE Summative Assessment Print the online blackline master for independent close reading. Ask students to read a portion of the Session 3 text selection independently, as indicated on the blackline master. Then have them respond to the prompts (summarize author s message, identify critical vocabulary, respond to constructed response questions) before returning for Session 3 s small-group discussion. Alternatively, you can use the completed blackline master for summative assessment. 6 Tea Leaves
Session 3 Text Selection: pp. 12 33 Key Idea: Text Selection Shanti asks her mom for money and permission to travel to the sea. When her wish is finally granted, she enjoys exploring and experiencing the ocean. Returning to the Text 5 minutes Explain that students will read the rest of Tea Leaves, noticing major events or challenges the characters face, how the narrator describes them, how the characters react to them, and how illustrations help explain and enhance the text. We ll be reading the rest of Tea Leaves today. Let s pick up where we left off. The narrator described Shanti and her life in Sri Lanka. We learned about Shanti s school day and her listening to the shell, about her curiosity about the sea, and her questions about the sea. Shanti s reactions to hearing about the sea at school progressed the plot line because she began to ask questions about it. How does our understanding of this help us read the story? We understand how character responses can move a plot forward. LEARNING FOCUSES RL.4.3*, RL.4.6*, RL.4.7 Students return to the text to read closely and determine challenges and major events the characters face and how they respond, citing text evidence to support their ideas. Students also describe how the narrator s point of view impacts the telling of the story and the effect it has on the reader. At the same time, students make connections between the text and illustrations, identifying where each reflects specific descriptions. Reading the Text 10 minutes State the learning focuses. Invite students to read pages 12 15. Check to see how they are doing with application of the focuses. Then have students read through page 33, paying special attention to how character responses affect the plot. Today, we will continue to pay attention to the relationships among plot events, character responses, and narrative and illustrative points of view. Let s read pages 12 to 15. Who would like to talk about another plot event that unfolds in this section? On page 13, Shanti goes to the train station to talk to her uncle about the sea. How does her uncle respond? He tells her she needs to see the sea for herself and that if she has a note and money, he will take her. Who can add to this? Well, Shanti responds by asking her mom if she can go. Who can explain the challenge this presents for Shanti? She makes her mom really angry when she asks to go on this trip, so she realizes she probably won t be able to go on the trip to the sea. I think this must upset her a lot. She looks upset in the picture on page 15. Vocabulary RL.4.4 As you read this story, encourage students to make a web of words that are connected to life in Sri Lanka, such as rupees, Buddhist, and tuk-tuk. Have students present their work and explain how each word on the web relates to Sri Lanka. Comprehension Share As you read, look carefully at the illustrations. Think about what they add to the story. They can help you discover more about a character, setting, or what is happening in the story. Discussing the Text 10 minutes Generate a discussion that allows students to compare and contrast narrative and illustrative points of view. Let s talk some more about the relationship between the narrator and the illustrator. You ll work in pairs. One of you will read aloud a text detail from page 27. Your partner will point to the matching part of the illustration on pages 26 to 27. Who would like to share a text detail you identified? It says Uncle Nochi and Shanti jumped in a tuk-tuk. SL.4.2 discussion Comprehension Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 7
TEACHER TIP Thinking aloud can greatly increase students comprehension of a text. Model a think-aloud in which you question to clarify meaning, make inferences, synthesize, and evaluate. Then have students follow your example. Are there details in the matching illustration that do not come from the text? Yes. The illustration shows me exactly what a tuk-tuk looks like. I guessed it was some form of transportation, and now I know it s a small vehicle, like a golf cart. Would you know what a tuk-tuk is if you didn t see the picture? Probably not. Maybe the illustrator adds this detail to support the text. What else does the narrator tell us on this page? The blue spread out in all directions, as far as her eyes could see. The illustrator shows this detail too with bright blue and green waves that fill almost the entire page. Support students as they continue to study text relationships. Remember to paraphrase the story as you discuss character responses to major plot events and the effect of the narration on both you and the story. Why do you think it s important to pay attention to these relationships? Different character responses moved the plot forward. Focusing on the narrator s point of view helps me understand the characters and the plot. W.4.8*, RL.4.3* Writing Respond to Question CHOICE constructed Response: write to source E-RESOURCE Formative/Summative Assessment Have students continue to use the blackline master on page 11 as they finish reading. Then ask them to write a response on a separate sheet of paper that answers the question: What challenges or big events do the characters in this story face? How do they respond to them? Have students use the text evidence they collected to support their writing. CHOICE Writing Task: Narrative W.4.3 Writing Narrative E-RESOURCE Summative Assessment Review the elements of a narrative. Invite students to write a story in which Shanti faces a new challenge. Guide them to use the blackline master on page 12 as they write their narratives. Before writing, ask partners to discuss the challenges Shanti faced in the story and how she reacted to each one. Students will work independently. Consider having them illustrate their writing. You read about Shanti s trip to the sea and the challenges she faced before and during her trip. You ve collected evidence as you read that will help you write your own story about Shanti. Work with a partner to review the evidence you ve gathered. Then write your own story about another challenge Shanti faces. Begin by establishing the limited third-person narrator, the situation, and the characters. Then use dialogue and descriptions to develop the characters and plot. Draw an illustration to show more details about an event in your story and the characters reactions to it. 8 Tea Leaves
CHOICE Additional Instruction word study Compound Words Focus on the word moonbeams on page 17. Break down the word and guide students to use the word parts to determine its meaning in context. The word moonbeams is in the fifth sentence on page 17. Which two words are in moonbeams? moon and beams Who can remind us what a moon is? a large round object that circles the Earth and shines at night And what is a beam? a ray of light Now, let s put the two words together. Who can tell what moonbeams means? rays of light from the moon Let s find other compound words from the book and analyze them in this same way. RF.4.3 WORD RECOGNITION Compound Words Vocabulary Suggest that students keep a section in their vocabulary notebooks for compound words they encounter in their reading. VOCabulary Context Clues Help students determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by using context clues. Focus on the word knelt on page 5. We can build understanding of a new word by thinking about its meaning in context and then using the word in another sentence. Let s try this with the word knelt on page 5. From reading the text, what do you think knelt means? got down on your knees; bowed down Let s make up a new sentence using knelt. Who would like to try? She knelt down next to the pond so she could feel the water. You ve done a good job figuring out a word in context and then applying it to a new situation. L.4.4a VOCABULARY Context Clues word recognition Syllabication Focus on breaking words into syllables. Use the words descended and eucalyptus on page 22. Let s look at the word eucalyptus on page 22. How many syllables do you hear? four Let s break it down into the individual syllables: eu/ca/lyp/tus. Sometimes breaking a multisyllabic word into its parts makes it easier to read. How many syllables does this word on the same page have: descended? three Who would like to try breaking this word into syllables? de/scen/ded Now let s try this with some other words from the selection. RF.4.3a Word recognition Syllabication Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 9
Name Date Comprehension: Major Events There are many important events in the book Tea Leaves. Some of these events are challenging to characters. Think about the major events of this story and how they change or affect the plot. Use this organizer to explore two events from this story and the effects they had on the plot. Major Event How It Affected the Plot Major Event How It Affected the Plot Mondo Publishing Score: 10 Tea Leaves
Name Date Collecting Text Evidence What challenges or big events do the characters in this story face? How do they respond to them? Use this chart to collect evidence you can use to answer these questions. Be sure to include page references. You might need more than one copy. Page Number Challenge or Event Character s Response Mondo Publishing Score: Mondo Bookshop Grade 4 11
Name Date Writing Task: Narrative First Draft Think about the challenges and events that Shanti faced in Tea Leaves. Think about the words and illustrations the narrator and illustrator used to describe each one. Then write a short story about another challenge that Shanti faces. Make sure your story has a beginning, middle, and ending. REMEMBER: A well-written narrative includes A beginning: strong opening that introduces the characters and the plot A middle: details that describe the plot events and the character s actions, thoughts, and feelings An ending: one or two closing sentences to sum up the story Mondo Publishing Score: 12 Tea Leaves