Assignment 6
· Read the legend “How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes” and the student retelling of that story. Using your knowledge of reading comprehension (e.g., literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, engagement of schema, self-monitoring), write a response in which you:
Using your knowledge of reading comprehension (e.g., literal comprehension, inferential comprehension, engagement of schema, self-monitoring), write a response in which you:
· Identify and discuss one of the student’s strengths relating to reading comprehension;
· Identify and discuss one of the student’s weaknesses relating to reading comprehension
· See Appendix B for the scoring rubric.
You are to prepare a written response of approximately 350 – 500 words. Your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge of the field. You are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding by applying your knowledge rather than by merely reciting factual information.
Your response will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
· Purpose: the extent to which your response achieves the purpose of the assignment.
· Subject Knowledge: the appropriateness and accuracy in the application of the subject knowledge
· Support: quality and relevance of supporting evidence
· Rationale: soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject
Descriptions of each criteria.
Purpose
· Your response focuses on reading comprehension and explains both strengths and weaknesses.
· You cite specific evidence from both the passage and the retelling of the passage.
Subject Knowledge
· The application of subject knowledge is accurate and substantial, including the use of terminology.
· The distinction between inferential and literal comprehension is clearly stated.
· Areas where the student needs intervention are clearly identified and addressed.
Support
· You provide examples from the text and/or retelling that are both relevant and important to the discussion.
· Support is sound and the examples are of high quality.
· The examples and the discussion of the examples are clearly related and in context.
Rationale
· Your response is ably reasoned and relates each part of the discussion to the whole picture of the student’s comprehension.
· The choice of strength/weakness to discuss, the explanations given and the examples all show a comprehensive understanding of reading comprehension.
· The conclusions brings the threads of the discussion together.
How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes A Legend of the Iroquois
Long ago, the Earth was covered in darkness. None of the creatures living there knew what daylight looked like.
One day, all of the animals of the forest gathered together in a clearing. They wondered if it would be better to remain in darkness, or if it would be better to also have light. Deer, Chipmunk, Raccoon, Wolf, Bear, and many other creatures climbed to the top of the highest mountain. The mountain stood so tall that there were no trees on its top, and it was covered only with rocks. Millions of stars blinked in the dark sky overhead. The biggest and most powerful animal in the forest was the bear, and he was the first to reach the mountaintop. Bear stood on the highest peak, looked out over the forest below, and argued for remaining in darkness. He said that the creatures of the forest would be able to sleep better in darkness because there would be no light to keep them awake. Most of the other animals were afraid, and they agreed with Bear. Raccoon said that he did not mind the darkness because he was so smart that he could find plenty of food, even in the dark. Wolf was easy to please, too. She didn't mind the darkness because she could howl in darkness or in light.
But one animal did stand up to Bear. Chipmunk, the smallest of the animals, argued that it would be better to have both light and dark. Chipmunk was very clever. As Bear continued to argue for darkness, she made many good arguments for light.
Slowly, the night passed. Bear grew tired of talking, but Chipmunk chattered on and on, as if she had all of the energy in the world. As the other animals dropped off to sleep, one by one, Chipmunk kept arguing. Finally, the first sunrise ever seen by the animals appeared over the top of the mountain. They woke up and were amazed by what they saw.
Chipmunk began to dance from rock to rock. Bear became angry because he didn't get his way. He roared loudly and ran after Chipmunk. He chased Chipmunk all the way down the mountain. Bear was fast, and he reached out his giant paw to grab Chipmunk. Chipmunk got away, but not before Bear managed to scratch her
back with his long claws. And that is why, to this day, you can see stripes on
Chipmunk's back!
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How the Chipmunk Got Its Stripes A Legend of the Iroquois
A 4th-grade student’s retelling of the legend and answering the prompt “What is the message of this story?”
The start of the earth was dark and all the animals could talk to each other. Lots of animals climbed a mountain. They saw stars but the ground was dark. The raccoon liked the dark. The bear was big and a bully. The chipmunk was the smallest animal but he wasn’t afraid of the bear. He talked and talked and talked. Everyone got tired and fell asleep but chipmunk started to dance. The bear chased the chipmunk and grabbed it with its paw. Chipmunk got away. Now chipmunks have stripes on their backs.
The main message of the story: If someone is mad at you, make sure you can run fast.
NOTES TO STUDENTS
When analyzing this retelling, focus on:
· Overall impressions of the accuracy and completeness of the retelling.
· What is one strength and one weakness in this student’s retelling?
· What does this strength/weakness tell you as a teacher what the instructional needs are for this student?
· Identify key reading and comprehension skills that are and are not utilized by this student. (KEY FOCUS OF PAPER)
· Identifying key passages from both the text and the retelling to support your position.
