Questioning Mini Lessons

***Warning-I typed this up when I couldn’t sleep, so please forgive any typos. I am a horrible typist- especially when tired!**

Questioning Mini Lessons These lessons were modified and modeled from ideas in Strategies that Work by Harvey and Goudvis and Reading With Meaning by Miller. For this unit I focused on folk tales and fairy tales, especially Little Red Riding Hood. There are MANY versions of this tale so I decided to pounce on it! Day Purpose/ Objective Lesson One- Activate background To begin the unit I asked the class what the LONG about questioning and word question meant. What words do we use to lesson story. write questions (who, what, where, etc) and what do we end a question with. I did this just to get Think aloud questioning their minds whirling! before reading the Then I asked who had read the story Little story, during and after Red Riding Hood. Of course, most the class knew the story (this is fourth grade remember!). I told Materials: the students how good readers asked questions  Little Red Riding not only while they read, but before and after too! Hood (original I looked at the cover and thought aloud story) from the some questions. Then paged through the story and Brothers Grimm. I brainstormed more questions orally (before). Then *think* the one I I read aloud the story and asked myself questions. used was retold by At this point many of these were predictions and Paul Galdone. then I would confirm or adjust a prediction as I went. After I closed the book I mused out loud, like why did the girl and grandmother STILL survive after the woodsman cut the wolf open (remember: the original Grimm version is much more gruesome- which the kids LOVED)? Why did the author choose the villain/ antagonist to be a wolf- why not a snake or a human? And so on. The kids were dying to contribute by this point, so I allowed some discussion. In the beginning, I pretty much ran the show and released some to the kids as I read the book. Two Think aloud questioning I review with the kids what questioning was. Then before reading the I shared that we would read another version of story, during and after Little Red Riding Hood (or LRRH as we began to call it!). This one took place in China. Invite students to share their questions as I read. I began by flipping through the book and looking at the cover. Anytime I wondered pout loud I jotted Introduce using sticky a note down on a sticky notes (I may have done notes for questioning this ahead of time, I can’t remember!) I told them I did this because I wanted to remember my Materials: question in case I answered it later on, or if it  Lon Po Po by Ed helped me think about he story. Young  Sticky notes While reading the story I invited kids to share t  Chart paper Introduce using sticky notes for questioning divided into three their during questions. I always said, “Oh, I wish I sections(before, had a sticky note to jot that down on!” or during and after) something of the effect.

Then we discussed our after questions. These are usually the most thought provoking questions- and often had no answers. I told the kids it was OK if the question didn’t have an answer- it just makes our brains work even harder.

Three- Think aloud questioning I told the kids TODAY we would share our LONG before reading the questions. I gave each child three sticky notes. I story, during and after invited them to write down questions they had form the story. Of course (I love it when they do Invite students to share this) a student asked if they could do one for their questions as I read. before, another for during and the last for after. I said it was their choice. Introduce using sticky notes for questioning I read aloud this adorable story and then would stop every so often and have a child share their Materials: question and we would discuss. I did have to limit  Little Red Cowboy this because so many wanted to share. I did stop Hat by Susan once or twice and allow them to share a question Lowell, with a neighbor AND LET THEM DISCUSS. The  Sticky notes for cool part of questions is that they usually lead to whole class conversation!  Chart paper divided into three Then at the end I let the students attach their sections(before, sticky notes to the chart divided up into the three during and after) sections. Four Think aloud questioning Same lesson as yesterday- but with a cajun twist! before reading the story, during and after

Invite students to share their questions as I read.

Introduce using sticky notes for questioning

Materials:  Petite Rouge Mike Artell,  Sticky notes for whole class  Chart paper divided into three sections(before, during and after)Tales and Fractured Fairy Tales Four Independent practice This was a short lesson. We met briefly and I told using sticky notes and students that they were aloud to chose any book questioning at the front of the room in the browsing box (at the beginning of the unit I raided the library for Materials: fairy tales and fractured fairy tales). While I  Sticky notes for met with guided reading groups, they could read whole class any story (from the box- I wanted it to be books I  Several Little Red was familiar with) and mark questions. We would Riding Hood meet back together at the end of class to share. Stories or Fairy One note of caution- I had to make my guided Tales and reading groups a little shorter so that everyone Fractured Fairy would have something to share and contribute. Tales Four Independent practice Same as yesterday- more time for practice using sticky notes and questioning However, we did also mention these in guided reading groups (actually a student did in EVERY Materials: group) and kids started marking this as well when  Sticky notes for reading the text- but they thought it was their whole class idea!  Several Little Red Riding Hood Stories or Fairy Tales and Fractured Fairy Tales Five- Preparing and thinking I showed students the chart I had made. Then I short about the purpose of let them know we would all be answering the three questioning questions. If we were taking the time to question it must be important, but why? How did it help us Materials: as readers? I stressed their really wasn’t a wrong Chart paper already answer. marked with these three questions: I told them to think on it for awhile and we would I can’t remember but I discuss it tomorrow! took them directly form Debbie Miller’s book (and my guide!) Reading With Meaning. When I get back to school I will post it and a picture of the poster we made. Six Materials: Give each student a sticky note. Ask them to Chart paper already share their thoughts. I gave them a chance to marked with these three write something to answer the first question. questions: Then they turned to a neighbor and discussed I can’t remember but I what they wrote. That gave kids who had a hard took them directly form time thinking, more chances to write. Then Debbie Miller’s book (and students were able to share their thoughts- or my guide!) Reading With their partners. We did this for each question. Meaning. When I get Then all sticky notes were posted on the chart. back to school I will post After the lesson I sorted though all the posit- its, it and a picture of the discarded the repeats and copied them down on poster we made the anchor chart that know hags in our room!

I also used this unit as a great introduction to story elements and comparison and contrasting in texts. See the Mini lesson page for these lessons.