Close Reading in 6th Grade- Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi
Establish the purpose- Why would I choose to read this selection?
Analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Introduction of task
When we read books, we sometimes come across parts that seem a little tricky. There are different reasons
why a book might be tricky. Sometimes authors use descriptive or fancy language to paint a picture in the
reader’s mind to create a feeling or mood. As good readers we can learn to take a closer look at these parts
and think about what the author is saying. We can use what we’re learning about questioning, going back into
the text, and thinking about the words to help us understand stories that use lots of descriptive words.
Today we are going to read a couple paragraphs from the book, “Crispin.” I’m going to give you a chance to
think about these paragraphs and what you can figure out from them, and then we will do some thinking
about the words and meaning together. One key to our success is that we are going to reread these
paragraphs several times to help us understand what is happening and to help us understand how the author’s
descriptive words paint a picture in our mind and create a feeling or mood.
First reading- Students read independently
Ask students to read to themselves the first 2 paragraphs of chapter 14 on page 54 (this should be copied
ahead of time for each student). Remind students to circle or underline words, phrases, or sentences that are
unclear to them. Ask students to make notes to themselves about major events or key details.
First discussion- Partner talk to check meaning
After reading independently, ask students to turn to a partner and discuss some of the key details they read in
the text. You may guide the discussion by saying, “Discuss the paragraphs you have just read. Describe the
setting the character is in.”
*Depending on how much structured discussion you have had in your classroom, you may want to quickly
model or use a sentence frame to begin. (Partner A: One detail I noticed was _______, Partner B: Another
detail I noticed was _________ before asking them to discuss the setting)
Second discussion- Assessing for Understanding and Confusions
Ask students to share their key details/setting descriptions with the class. Ask students what words or phrases
were unfamiliar or unclear to them and how they attempted to figure them out.
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Written by C. Carter ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Second reading- Teacher-led shared reading and think-aloud
Begin reading the section again, aloud to the class. Ask them to follow along on their own copy.
Read the 1st sentence aloud and stop. “On the third morning of my escape I woke to a woollike world of misty
gray.” “There’s a word there that I don’t know, woollike. I can see that it’s a compound word: wool and like,
so I know that it means “like wool.” So the world is like wool. I can picture sheep’s wool. I can keep reading the
sentence and see that the author also describes the morning as misty gray. That might help me see that the
morning is dark and kind of dreary, and help me understand that woollike might be describing a dark and
damp morning.
Continue to read the section.
After reading the sentence, “My entire world had shrunk down to the frayed margins of the sodden road.” Stop
and say, “I’m not sure I know what the word sodden means. I know I’ve heard that word before but I’m not
quite sure what it means. I might keep reading and see if I can determine the meaning.”
Continue reading the rest of the section.
After reading the section say, “I wasn’t sure I knew the word sodden, but after reading the rest of the passage
I saw several words that made me think that the setting was wet- mist, damp, soggy. These words give me a
clue that sodden might have something to do with being wet. If I replace wet for sodden in the sentence I
think it might make sense. My entire world had shrunk down to the frayed margins of the wet road. Yes, I think
that seems to make sense.”
Third discussion- Text-dependent questions
These questions could be answered as a discussion with a partner or small group, they could also be written
down using a stop, think, and write technique, (e.g. thinking box, quick jot, quick try, etc.) and then discussed.
Question 1: What do I know about the character? (He’s escaped, been escaped for 3 days, he feels alone)
What do we know about his surroundings? (forest like, damp, dark, morning)(Key Details)
Question 2: This author seems to be using dark and desolate words to portray this situation, what words or
images does he use to show that? (Vocabulary)
Question 3: How do you think the author wants you to feel (what kind of mood) when you read this? How
does he accomplish that? (Author’s Purpose)
Question 4: Do you think the character is enjoying being alone or not? What in the text makes you think so?
(Inference)
Question 5: What do you know about the story of Adam and Eve that might help you understand the
point/mood the author is trying to make/create? (Intertextual Connections)
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Written by C. Carter ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013
Question 6: Is there another story (that we have read?) that has a similar setting or mood? What makes you
think that? (Intertextual connections)
You might ask students to note their answers from discussions in thinking boxes on the back of their copy of the text.
Remember, not every question needs to be answered in a thinking box. Mix up writing with discussion.
Before the first discussionDescribe the setting the character is in.
Before the second discussionUnfamiliar words or phrases and how did you figure them
out?
After discussion of Question 1: What do we know about
the character? What do we know about his surroundings?
After discussion of Question 4: Do you think the character
is enjoying being alone or not? What in the text makes you
think so?
After discussion of Question 2: This author seems to be
using dark and desolate words to portray this situation,
what words or images does he use to show that?
After discussion of Question 5: What do you know about
the story of Adam and Eve that might help you understand
the point/mood the author is trying to make/create?
After discussion of Question 3: How do you think the
author wants you to feel (what kind of mood) when you
read this? How does he accomplish that?
After discussion of Question 6: Is there another story (that
we have read) that has a similar setting or mood? What
makes you think that?
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Written by C. Carter ©Davis School District Farmington, UT 2012-2013