A Three-Rung Ladder

Diggin' deeper? Thinkin' more critically? Climbin' the ladder?

Let's dig, let's think, let's climb to a greater understanding of the texts we are about to read.

First, let's give credit where credit is due. The source for this concept is The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English. For the past two summers, I have attended Pre-AP English training, first a two-day workshop and then a five-day workshop this past summer on the campus of ASU, at which this book served as our mentor text.

How will we utilize this within the classroom? First, we will develop questions for each step on the below three-rung ladder about a text that we will read together entitled "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier.

Three-Rung Ladder of Questioning

1. Literal Level
   * Factual
   * Address key elements
   * Answers found directly in text.
2. Interpretive Level
   * Inferential
   * Motive of author or a character
   * Answers found by following patterns and seeing relationships amongst parts of the text.
3. Experienced-Based Level
   * Connecting
   * Link text to prior knowledge, other texts, or experiences
   * Answers found by testing the ideas of a text against readers' schema.

Next, we will analyze John Keats' poem "A Song about Myself." You may also find a copy of this poem on our class wiki at Mrs G Info.

Using this poem as our mentor text, your lit circle group will meet online via Google Docs as you share collaboration on a form that I will email the discussion director within your group.

Why are we studying this poem? Yes, to continue our study of our thematic unit Who Am I?

Then what? As we read Julius Caesar, each of you will be required to develop questions for each level for each act of the play. Why? The development of these skills are not intended to just fill sheets of paper and "kill another tree." The reality is this: these skills will greatly enhance your success in your AP courses, your score on your AP exams, which ultimately will result in your being a step-up on the college ladder of success!

This post may also be found at Treasure Chest of Thoughts.