Activities

1. Given a photograph, illustration or picture, write two statements of fact and two opinion statements.

2. Using a short story or a portion of a short story or other short piece of literature, identify and cross out all sentences that contain a personal opinion.

3. Using a piece of literature, recall text without personal opinions or judgments. 

4. Using a problem-solution graphic organizer, identify the problem and solution of a piece of literature.

5. Using a short piece of literature, identify and locate an idea or trend in the author’s craft that occurs repeatedly in all or most of the paragraphs. Underline the recurring idea or trend in author’s craft in each paragraph that it appears.

6. Write a paragraph to summarize a piece of literature while leaving out personal opinion.

7. Using a drama, record key dialogue that supports the central idea or theme of the play. 

8. Using a fairy tale, tall tale, picture book or other piece of short literature, analyze the text to determine the central idea or theme.

9. Generate additional titles for a piece of literature.   

Answer Key/Rubric

1. Given a photograph, illustration or picture, student writes two statements of fact and two opinion statements.  Student correctly writes two statements that are factual and writes two statements that are opinions.  Student understands the characteristics of facts and opinions.  Student understands the difference between facts and opinions.  Student understands that a fact is strictly defined and can be proven true or false often using statistics, evidence or some type of measuring device.  Student understands an opinion is a belief, value or an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven.
   
   
2. Student uses a short story or a portion of a short story or other short piece of literature and identifies and crosses out all sentences that contain a personal opinion.  Student correctly identifies all instances of personal opinion.  Student crosses out all instance of personal opinion.  Student understands an opinion is a belief, value or an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven.
   
   
3. Using a piece of literature, student recalls text without personal opinions or judgments.  Student is accurate in retelling, remembering events, dialogue and the sequence of events when important to the retelling.  Student does not interject personal opinion, evaluations or judgments into the retell.  Student understands an opinion is a belief, value or an expression of a person’s feelings that cannot be proven. 
   
   
4. Student uses a problem-solution graphic organizer and identifies the problem and solution of a piece of literature.  Student correctly identifies the problem and solution.  Student understands that he can ask, ____________ wanted _________________ and so he/she/it ____________________, to help him/her/it determine the problem and solution.  Student correctly classifies the problem as person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. ideal or person vs. self.
   
   
5. Using a piece of literature, student identifies and locates an idea or trend in the author’s craft that occurs repeatedly in a significant part of the text or in many of the paragraphs.  Student underlines the recurring idea or trend in author’s craft in each paragraph that it appears.  Student recognizes events, ideas or instances of author’s craft that are repetitive in nature or have similar meanings.  This may include a character that repeats certain phrases, events that have parallel features or a distinct feature in the author’s writing.  The student should be able to speak to why he/she underlined a recurring idea or trend in author’s craft and how this may be significant to the meaning of the text.
   
   
6. Student writes a paragraph to summarize a piece of literature while leaving out personal opinion.  Student includes important details and discards extraneous information when writing and does not include personal opinions or evaluations.  Student paraphrases information and condenses the information while accurately conveying the text meaning.  Student’s use of grammar and spelling does not impede or obscure the message.
   
   
7. Student uses a drama and records key dialogue that supports the central idea or theme of the play.  Student notes who is speaking and why.  Student correctly identifies multiple pieces of key dialogue that supports the theme.  Student recognizes events, details and dialogue that are repetitive in nature, similar in meanings or are significant to consider the various messages of the drama.  Student chooses the theme by generalizing the specific message of the drama and broadening it to fit the human condition or most people of the world.  Student correctly states the theme. 
   
   
8. Student uses a fairy tale, tall tale, picture book or other piece of short literature and analyzes the text to determine the central idea or theme.  Student analyzes information within the text to determine the central idea or theme.  Student categorizes similar events, ideas or instances of author’s craft.  Student recognizes events, ideas or instances of author’s craft that are repetitive in nature or have similar meanings to consider various messages.  Student chooses the strongest message by the amount and strength of textual support.  Student identifies the theme by generalizing the specific message within the text so that the message is now broad and fits various circumstances and people of the world.
   
   
9. Student generates an additional title for a piece of literature.  Student has strategies for brainstorming ideas for the title.  For example, while considering the overall content of the text, the student may write a one-word title, then a two-word title, a three-word title, and so on or the student may try to find a sentence within the text which conveys the overall idea and change the wording without changing the meaning, etc.   Student generates several titles in order to choose one that will predict the content or is the most fitting for the passage.  Student may also brainstorm ideas that will catch the reader’s interest while conveying the overall idea of the passage, and possibly reflect the tone and slant of the writing.