Anticipatory Set
• Recall the first signpost strategy we learned on Tuesday (Contrasts and
Contradictions) and what it looks like in our reading.
• What do you think an Aha Moment looks like in literature?
Learning Goals
•
Readers will understand and learn to apply the Signpost
Strategy of Aha Moments to a short story and their
independent reading.
•
Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
AHA Moment!
This is an easy signpost to learn because you’ve all had many Aha Moments
yourself.
• Have you ever walked into a class, seen people frantically looking through
their notes, and suddenly remembered what it was you were supposed to do
the night before - study for that big test!
OR
• Have you ever looked around your bedroom at the clothes on the floor, your
unmade bed, the dishes stacked on your desk, and you realized that your
room really had turned into a disaster? You are suddenly aware that your
room has gone from messy to filthy and you must clean it up!
AHA Moments Are…
when you realize something...and that realization changes your actions!
•
Like when you realized your room was a filthy mess and started
cleaning it up or at least decided that it needed to be cleaned!
Realizing it was a mess changed your actions...instead of sitting there just
looking at it, you made a decision and eventually took action.
Maybe you cleaned it up yourself or paid your little sister to do it for you!
Perhaps you asked your parent to help, but either way ……. YOU TOOK ACTION!
AHA Moments Are…
When a character realizes something, that realization will
probably change his or her actions in some way.
CLUES THAT THE AUTHOR MIGHT GIVE US:
These clues are there to tell you that this moment is important, and you
need to stop and give it some thought.
•
“Suddenly I realized”
•
“In an instant”
•
“It came to me in a flash”
•
“I now knew”
Once You Spot a Text Clue…..
Ask yourself this anchor question:
How might this change things?
Thinking about possible answers to that question
will let us see why the Aha Moment is important
and how it affects the story.
When You Notice…..
a character suddenly realizing something, ask
yourself this anchor question:
How might this change things?
The answer to this question can help you
understand the CONFLICT in the story or even the
THEME [message or lesson].
Let’s Look For AHA Moments
You will need: a copy of the scenes that I’ve pulled from a
book titled Crash by Jerry Spinelli, a pen, and a post-it note.
Please follow along with me as I read.
Crash is about a middle-school kid nicknamed Crash
who bullies another kid. The kid he bullies is named
Penn Webb, and Crash often calls him by his last
name. The first scene is from the beginning of the
story on page 2 when the main character Crash, is
outside and sees Penn walking down the street.
Let’s Look For An AHA Moment
Stop – “Don’t
let him pass.”
“all of a sudden I knew what I had to do”
★The author gave us a clue that the character has suddenly discovered
something. When an author shows me that a character has realized
something, I want to stop and think about what that means.
★ Spinelli then emphasizes the point more strongly by adding, “like there was a
big announcement coming down from the sky.” That’s another clue in the
text that the character has suddenly grown aware of something
★ Both phrases let me know that the character has grasped something
important, and that insight is going to change things
When You See a Character Having an
AHA Moment
You need to ask yourself this anchor question:
How might this change things?
I think I know, or at least I can make a good guess about what he’s going to
do next. I think he’s going to confront this kid he has referred to as “a
funny-looking dorky little runt.” He’s going to make him stop, and he’s
probably going to do something to humiliate the kid. I’ll have to keep reading
to see if I’m correct.
Let’s Keep Reading….
Stop – “Both
came to watch
when no one
else was there.”
In this next section, we find that Crash and Penn Webb are
about to compete against each other in a school race. Webb’s
parents and his great-grandfather, Henry Wilhide Webb III,
have come to watch Penn run. Crash is looking at the three of
them in the stand and thinking about his own grandfather,
Scooter. Until now, Crash has continued to bully Penn.
As I continue reading, see if you notice the
Aha Moment.
Did You Hear the
AHA Moment?
I saw the phrase...
“The thought came to me”.
I knew Crash had figured something out. He had an Aha Moment! Authors use these
Aha Moments to show us insight, something the character now understands.
Remember….. Once you spot the Aha Moment, ask yourself the question:
How might this change things?
How might Crash’s realization that the two grandfathers might have liked each
other change Crash? Jot down your answers to that question on the text.
Let’s Come Back Together
Share out our thoughts
Regardless of what you predicted might happen next, when an author
shows us an Aha that a character has had, we need to wonder how that
insight will change things and what it shows us about the character.
Let’s keep reading. This time mark the place where you
spot another Aha Moment. It’s still before the race, and
Crash is thinking about Penn’s great-grandfather.
Let’s Come Back Together
Stop – “The
gift.”
This one is a little tricky. Reread the paragraph that begins
with “The other team members...” to yourself.
•
On your own, underline the realization Crash has had.
What was it?
“Suddenly I saw something.”
You might think he literally saw something, but if you think about it,
you realize it means that Crash saw something in his mind. He saw
something he’s realized.
What anchor question should we be asking ourselves when we see an
Aha Moment?
Anchor Question
How might this change things?
Jot down your answer on the text and when done,
turn and talk to your partner about your thoughts.
Share out: How might this realization change what
happens next?
Let’s Keep Reading….
As I read the last part of this chapter, mark any passages
that show you an Aha Moment with a check mark or by
underlining them.
Keep your eyes sharp...look for an
Aha Moment!
On a Sticky Note
Choose one Aha moment and jot down your response to the
following questions on your post it noteAha Moment might
change things?
What makes each of these an Aha Moment and how did you answer the anchor question:
How might this change things?
★ “It occurred to me”
★ “For the first time in my life, I didn’t know if I wanted to win.”
★ “I knew…”
Review….
Turn to your partner one last time and tell each other what
you learned today.
Include:
★ What is an Aha Moment?
★ What do you look for in the text to spot one?
★ What is the anchor question you ask yourself when
you find one?
Application….
As you read your independent reading book, watch for Aha
Moments and Contrasts and Contradictions.
Complete the Aha Moment homework using your IRB.
You should also use your post-it notes following the format
of the anchor charts in our classroom, so I can see your
thinking!