Grade 5
Robb, Laura. Unlocking Complex Texts: A Systematic Framework for Building
Adolescents' Comprehension. New York: Scholastic, 2013. Print.
Blizzard! Selection written by Jim Murphy
Lexile: 1100
Text Complexity: 1 = Accessible to 5 = Challenging
Qualitative
1
2
3
Knowledge demands
Author’s purpose
Meaning
Text structure
Language/vocabulary
Concepts
4
x
x
5
x
x
x
x
Inferential thinking
demands
x
Lesson 1 Focus: Building Prior Knowledge and Setting Purposes
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!

Students’ notebooks/paper

Chart paper/markers
Lesson 1 Focus: Building prior knowledge before reading a passage.
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!, displayed on Smart Board

Students’ notebooks/paper

Building Prior Knowledge handout

Chart paper/markers for note taking
1.
Pass out the “Building Prior Knowledge” handout and display the excerpt
from Blizzard!.
2. Model how to use the steps on the handout to build prior knowledge
independently. Suggestions: Focus on title, reading of 1st paragraph if long
or 1st two paragraphs if shorter, then read the last paragraph and any
questions being asked (quiz items).
3. After reading 1st and last paragraphs, take notes on main points, have
students add ideas to the list.
4. Create a concept map with the word devastation in the middle. Have
students pair up and discuss what devastation means to them. After
sharing, have students offer ideas to the “devastation” concept map. Add
other ideas that deal with fire and devastation to get them focused on the
reading passage.
5. Read aloud the selection from Jim Murphy’s Blizzard!. This is a first
reading, so the purpose is to get an overview about the topic.
6. After reading, have the students pair-share to discuss the gist of Blizzard!.
7. Add more ideas to the concept map.
Lesson 2 Focus: Close Reading and Adding to the Concept Map
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard! displayed on Smart Board

Students’ notebooks/paper

Close Reading Guideline Sheet

“Devastation” concept map

Chart paper/markers
1.
Discuss strategies for close reading (use the handout). Model how you’d do
each step.
2. Partner up to use close reading strategies to figure out the meaning of selfreliance in paragraph 3:
“His aunt and uncle instilled in him a strong sense of self-reliance and duty.”

How would the boy’s aunt and uncle instill in him a strong sense of
self-reliance?

What does the word self mean?

What does it mean to rely on someone?

Can you connect these ideas to what it means to have “self-reliance”?
3. Pull out the sentence from paragraph 6:
“A cable car being pulled by four horses struggled along at a feeble pace,
while the few other people out that morning were hunkered over against the
icy gusts.”

Have students use close reading to deepen comprehension of the
sentence

What image forms in your mind after reading the phrase icy gusts?
4. Add to concept map.
Lesson 3 Focus: Making Inferences and Finding Themes
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!, displayed on Smart Board

Students’ notebooks/paper
1.
Set the purpose for reading: to use text details to infer and find themes.

Infer:
Combining what the text says with what you know to find
meaning not directly stated in the text (p.50)

Theme: Suggested by details from or inferences about a text and can
be generalized to apply to all humankind, not just the characters in
the story (p.50)
2. Reread the 1st and 2nd paragraphs aloud. Use a think-aloud to show how to
use specific text details to infer and find themes. Example: I can infer
that the items Sam’s aunt needed at the store must have been very
important to her since she was sending him out in the blizzard. One theme I
can take away from this passage is that safety needs to come before
feelings of self-reliance in order to avoid a tragedy.
3. Read paragraph 3. Have students pair-share to come up with an inference
and a theme.

Inference: I can tell that Sam is dedicated since he says that he was
supposed to go to the store and school and would do both even with
the blizzard.

Theme:
People should think things through completely; stubborn
determination can possibly lead to problems in the future.
4. Reread aloud the last 3 paragraphs and have students find inferences and
themes. Share.
Lesson 4 Focus: (*May need 2 days) Collaborative Discussions – work in pairs to
discuss text-specific questions, rereading, skimming, and close reading to find
evidence to support their ideas
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!, displayed on Smart Board

Close reading guidelines sheet

Students’ notebooks/paper

Class set of discussion questions
1.
Put students into pairs. Hand out “Discussion Prompt” sheet. Have students
first read over questions.
2. Then, answer questions based on information in the text. Should use details
from text to support answer along with specific paragraph numbers.
3. Collect answers and review.
Lesson 4 Focus: Interpreting Language and Discussing Text Structure
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!, displayed on Smart Board

Students’ notebook/paper

“Devastation” concept map

Key words from a few paragraphs written on chart paper

Chart paper and markers
1.
Display the “devastation” concept map and add any other words or phrases
from Blizzard!.
2. Choose 8 to 15 words and phrases and connect them to an inference, tone of
the piece, or theme.
Examples: determined, snow drift, wild storm, self-reliance, duty, fending,
consequences, struggled, clawed, abandoned, etc.
3. Pair-share to use the words to come up with themes and logical inferences
in the text. Example: Even though there was a wild storm, Sam and his aunt
were still determined to have him venture out and go to both the store and
school; Because of the snow drifts, Sam had trouble fending off the icy wind
and struggled to walk through the streets.
4. Examine the text structure of Blizzard!.

How did the writer set the scene and place you in the text?

How did the writer organize the information from beginning to end?

Did the writer give background information?

Did the writer include real people?

Were there narrative elements such as dialogue, inner thoughts, conflicts,
or problems to be solved?
Lesson 7 Focus: Assessment: Test-taking Strategies
Materials:

Excerpt from Blizzard!, displayed on Smart Board

Copies of Blizzard! quiz

Building Prior Knowledge notes (Lesson 1)

Copies of the Quiz Answer Sheet

Quiz Answer Key for Blizzard!
1.
Read through the Blizzard! quiz.
2. Model how to answer the first quiz item, using the text to support how you
find the answer.
3. Give students the Quiz Answer Sheet. Students can work in pairs or work
independently on completing the remaining quiz items.
To hold students
accountable for going back into text, should highlight or mark up evidence in
passage.
4. Review answers when completed.