Story shackles: Linking students to written text

Chain your students to reading a given text critically! Story Shackles is an imaginative and stimulating way for students to acquire the ability to retell events of a story or text, sequence the action or happenings in a story, or to simply summarize the plot, main ideas with supporting details, or general information of a story or text.

A lesson plan for grades 6–8 English Language Arts

By Kim Rector

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• Learn more about comprehension, cooperative learning, information literacy, language arts, note-taking, reading, and summarizing.

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Learning outcomes

This activity will enable students to practice critical reading for information and details. The students will create summaries of short sections of the text that they will link into one class summary of the whole text.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

45 minutes

Materials/resources

• pre-cut 1″ x 8 1/2″ paper strips(white or colored)
• tape, staples with stapler, or glue
• markers, pens, or some type of writing utensils
• selected text

Pre-activities

Select and assign a short story, novel, or non-fiction text. Determine if the text is to be read in a large group setting, smaller cooperative group setting, or individually.

Activities

1. Depending on teacher preference, have the students read the text selection in a group or individually.
2. Prepare numerous 1″x 8 1/2″ white or colored paper strips.
3. Tell students that they will be writing a class summary of the text they are reading by dividing the work among the class. Divide students into pairs or small groups. Distribute one title strip and one summary strip to each student or cooperative group of students. Assign each group to read and summarize one small section of the text being read (no longer than 1-2 paragraphs).
4. On the summary strip, the students should write a sentence or two summarizing the main gist of their section. These sentences should analyze important events or main ideas from the reading selection. Remind students to include events from all parts of their section of text. The events chosen should summarize the text selection.
5. On the title strip, ask the students to write a short title for their section. They can use chapter titles, headings, or subheadings as their title, or create a more appropriate title.
6. When all the strips are completed, have the students share and explain their summaries with the class. Then have the students are to tape, staple, or glue them in order on a large sheet of paper to link all group strips into one complete class summary of the text selection.

Assessment

The students are often pleased with their accomplishments. This activity seems to add “zip” to the text. It allows the students to explain and evaluate their reading. The students begin to appreciate details and events from a text. It creates a more critical reader in all students from academically gifted to those below grade level.

Supplemental information

My long range goal is to read an entire novel having each group summarize the events in their assigned chapter. At the completion of all chapters, we will explain each group’s shackle and “link” all the summaries together to form a BIG shackle.

Comments

I have used this activity with short stories, fairy tales, tall tales, myths, legends, narrative poetry, and nonfiction selections in a science textbook. It can easily be adapted to any content area and is grade appropriate for elementary and/or middle school. It is an activity that works well as a group or individually.

I have found that the students prefer to use colored paper. Also, they are easier to read if the students will write vertically down the strip instead of horizontally across.

This is a good tool to have in the event that another student is absent. It makes reviewing the text much easier.