We're almost at the end of our 6 week focus on inferring and point of view. For the past three years, the teachers in our board have been required to complete Critical Pathways in our classrooms. A Critical Pathway is a 6 week intense study of one or two of our curriculum expectations. All teachers in each division in a school must study the same expectation at the same time. We create the rubric, success criteria, diagnostic task, and summative task together, and meet to complete moderated marking on these tasks. We are free however, to choose our own tasks the rest of the time. We use the first few days to establish our learning goals and anchor charts with our students' input. These must be posted throughout the duration of our study.
OK ... enough with the formal teacher talk. I wanted to share this because I have been so very impressed with my guided reading groups. I have 5 different reading groups. Two groups are reading The Nexus Ring by Maureen Bush, two groups are reading Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins (yes, THE Suzanne Collins), and my last group is reading The Ruby Kingdom by Patricia Bow. After the groups complete their reading each day, they have a different task related to inferring or point of view to complete. Sometimes they work individually, and sometimes they work in groups. I modelled questions and responses with our oral reading text, Among the Enemy, before I set them loose. I wanted to share some of the fantastic group work they completed over the last few days.
I can't wait to experience their final thoughts and responses as we finish the books next week. And by the way, Gregor the Overlander is an AWESOME book for classes who are just a little bit too young for The Hunger Games, yet want to get in on the excitement surrounding Collins and her trilogy.
For more ideas and activities for inferring, check out my Inferring Package - Activities to Use for ANY Text.
