I can work with others to have effective conversations about the topics and books we are studying. This includes sharing my ideas clearly and building on what my classmates say.

I can ask and answer specific questions with lots of detail to help our group think more deeply about a topic or text.

How do I contribute positively to my classroom community?

How can I encourage my classmates to take academic risks in their work?

How can I learn from and help my classmates?

What's one new idea you shared in a group discussion today, and how did your classmates respond?

Did someone in your group have an idea that helped you think differently about a topic? What was it?

Can you tell me about a time you helped a classmate with their work or encouraged them to try something new?

How did you help your group explore a topic more deeply today?

I can write a personal narrative that grabs readers' attention, uses vivid descriptions and dialogue, is clearly organized, and concludes in a satisfying manner.

I can demonstrate the ability to reflect on and revise my stories based on targeted feedback.

How do I write a memorable narrative?

How can I use mentor texts to help improve my writing?

How does the writing process lead to stronger writing?

Tell me about the story you're working on.

How did you decide to write that story?

How did you make your story more interesting after you got feedback from a classmate or your teacher?

What's a new writing trick or strategy you've learned this unit?

I can read closely to understand what a story is about, summarizing the events, describing the characters' traits and development over the course of the story, and explaining how specific parts of the story impact the overall text.

I can analyze the author's choices, specifically how the author uses the point of view of characters and explain how authors use figurative language (such as metaphor and personification) to make the story more interesting.

How do authors create believable characters?

How can the setting be used to help me understand a character's struggles?

How can a character's development or change help me better understand the author's message?

What's the most interesting character you've read about, and what makes them so believable?

How did the setting of the story help you understand the characters better?

Did a character in your book change over time? What did that change teach you about the author's message?

Can you find an example of a metaphor or personification in your book? What does it add to the story?

I can write clear and well-organized research essays by selecting and organizing information and presenting information in a logical way, and by analyzing sources to ensure information they present is accurate and relevant.

I can develop research skills including asking good questions to guide my research, finding and evaluating information from a variety of sources such as books and websites to make sure sources are trustworthy, and use information from my sources correctly through quoting, paraphrasing, and citing.

I can strengthen my writing and argument by using evidence from books, articles, and other sources to support my ideas and conclusions and integrate what I learn from research to show my understanding of the subject.

How do I research my topic and make sure the information I find is correct?

How do I interest my readers in the topic and keep them interested?

How do I present my information in the clearest way possible?

What topic are you researching, and what's the most surprising thing you've learned so far?

How do you know if a website is a good source for your research?

Can you show me how you're using a book or an article to support an idea in your writing?

What's the most challenging part of doing research for you?

I can identify the central idea or theme of a story or article and explain how key details support that idea.

I can explain how different parts of a text, like sentences and paragraphs, work together to build main ideas.

I can summarize key information without adding my opinions.

What message is the author trying to tell me through this book?

What does the author's message mean to me, to society, to the world?

What do you think is the main message or theme of the book you're reading?

What's a part of the story that helped you figure out the author's message?

How does the book's message connect to something in your own life or in the world?

Can you tell me a summary of your book without giving your opinion about it?

I can explain how author's choices help them understand their attitude about the topic.

I can explain how different parts of a text, like sentences and paragraphs, fit in with the bigger picture of the text.

I can discuss how the author's point of view helps them understand why they wrote the story.

How can studying an author's craft inform my own writing?

How do an author's choices better inform his/her reader of theme, character, or tone?

How might recognizing literary features help me better appreciate literature?

How does the author's writing style make you feel about the characters or the topic?

What's one thing the author did in your book that you might try in your own writing?

How does the author's point of view (like telling the story as "I" or "he/she") change how you understand the story?

Did you notice any special writing choices the author made, like a cool sentence or a repeated phrase? What did that do for the story?