LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Sticky-Note Discussions

Sticky-Notes discussions are fun, add variety to reading, and allow students to respond to the written text immediately. They are easy to implement in all content areas. Sticky-Note discussions are effective when used individually, in a small or large group, or a combination of settings.

A lesson plan for grades 3–8 English Language Arts

By Kim Rector

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Learning outcomes

Sticky-Note discussions are powerful tools that:

  • help students organize and better understand different reading selections.
  • provide an outlet that allows the student to stop, think, and respond to the written text.
  • provide guidelines and goals for comprehending each text.
  • decrease the chances of boredom by targeting specific skills.

It is easy to target those students with comprehension difficulties, but to also allow them to validate their responses along with the others.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

12 Months

Materials/resources

Selected reading passage

Small sized Post-it Notes (color and shape may vary)

If smaller Post-it notes are not available, you can purchase larger ones and cut to size preference.

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

  • Depending on the reading selection, a set of guidelines or rules will need to be established for students to follow. See Supplemental Resources for guideline suggestions.
  • The teacher should model this activity first by reading a selected passage aloud, sticky-noting selected “targeted” items, and providing an explanation why these items were selected. For example, a teacher might sticky note all major events in a story as the class reads together.

Activities

  1. As a student or group reads or completes a selection, have them stop and periodically place sticky-notes to highlight items they want to discuss following given guidelines.
  2. The students will place the sticky-notes in close proximity to the written text and quickly jot a short note, summary, or picture to explain why the item has been sticky-noted.
  3. Upon completion of the reading selection,the teacher will begin the discussion by having students talk about the places they have marked. They need to explain and elaborate on why they marked specific places.
  4. The class can discuss the given topic by easily referring back to sticky-noted passages.
  5. Written assignments can be given which require students to use the sticky-noted information. See Additional Comments for other class follow-ups to a sticky-note discussion.

Assessment

The teacher can look at the students’ books to check accuracy of marked items.

The students will discuss noted items and justify or explain. The teacher will assess students’ verbal responses, and the use of sticky-noted passages in any written assignments.

It is remarkable to watch students grow over a year’s time. Reluctant readers and lower level students jump at the chance to share their notes.

Supplemental information

For more info on using sticky notes to code texts, see “Strategies that Work” by Stephanie Harvey.

Sample Teacher Guidelines for Sticky-Note Discussions about Fiction
Ask students to find and mark:

  • questions about the topic
  • something you liked and enjoyed
  • something you disliked
  • funny parts
  • sad parts
  • appeals to other emotions
  • an event that happened to you or someone you know that is similar to a story event
  • literary elements:character traits, setting, theme, moods of the character and author, conflicts, or point of view
  • descriptive words of phrases that paint a mental picture that you can illustrate
  • symbols
  • predictions
  • main ideas
  • problems/solutions
  • comparisons/contrasts
  • oddities (strange and different items)
  • parts of speech
  • figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom, or alliteration)

Sample Teacher Guidelines for Sticky-Note Discussions about Non-Fiction
Ask students to find and mark:

  • factual information (i.e.. birth dates, death information, life accomplishments, personal problems, career choices, etc.…)
  • key words that tie into the topic that you know
  • key words that tie into the topic that you do not know
  • examples
  • habitats/settings
  • symbols
  • cause and effect relationship (i.e.…snowball effect)
  • descriptive words or phrases that draw a mental picture that you could illustrate
  • problem/solution
  • opinions
  • hypothesis/proof
  • comparison/contrast
  • physical features
  • behaviors(normal or abnormal)
  • sequence
  • steps in a process
  • parts of speech

Related websites

N/A

Comments

Sticky-note discussions allow a lot of flexibility in the following ways:
1- They can be moved around and aligned on a blank piece of paper to provide a simple outline for a student written response to the reading text.
2- They can be placed in and used with any textbook. Students are less likely to lose a sticky-note discussion stuck to the pages of their textbook as opposed to an individual sheet.
3- Sticky-notes are a great device for reviewing. Allow students to leave their sticky-notes on materials covered. At the end of each section, chapter, or unit, the students can review their sticky-notes. I have students who hate to take notes, but they love sticky-note discussions.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 3

  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, or viewing by:
      • setting a purpose.
      • previewing the text.
      • making predictions.
      • asking questions.
      • locating information for specific purposes.
      • making connections.
      • using story structure and text organization to comprehend.

Grade 4

  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • setting a purpose using prior knowledge and text information.
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • locating relevant information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.

Grade 5

  • Goal 2: The learner will apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.
    • Objective 2.02: Interact with the text before, during, and after reading, listening, and viewing by:
      • making predictions.
      • formulating questions.
      • supporting answers from textual information, previous experience, and/or other sources.
      • drawing on personal, literary, and cultural understandings.
      • seeking additional information.
      • making connections with previous experiences, information, and ideas.
  • Goal 3: The learner will make connections through the use of oral language, written language, and media and technology.
    • Objective 3.03: Justify evaluation of characters and events from different selections by citing supporting evidence in the text(s).

Grade 6

  • Goal 2: The learner will explore and analyze information from a variety of sources.
    • Objective 2.01: Explore informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
      • monitoring comprehension for understand of what is read, heard, and/or viewed.
      • studying the characteristics of informational works.
      • restating and summarizing information.
      • determining the importance and accuracy of information.
      • making connections between works, self and related topics/information.
      • comparing and/or contrasting information.
      • drawing inferences and/or conclusions.
      • generating questions.
  • Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
    • Objective 5.01: Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive literacy program by:
      • using effective reading strategies to match type of text.
      • reading self-selected literature and other materials of individual interest.
      • reading literature and other materials selected by the teacher.
      • discussing literature in teacher-student conferences and small group discussions.
      • taking an active role in whole class seminars.
      • discussing and analyzing the effects on texts of such literary devices as figurative language, dialogue, flashback and sarcasm.
      • interpreting text by explaining elements such as plot, theme, point of view, characterization, mood, and style.
      • investigating examples of distortion and stereotypes.
      • recognizing underlying messages in order to identify recurring theme(s) within and across works.
      • extending understanding by creating products for different purposes, different audiences and within various contexts.
      • exploring relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts and/or experiences.

Grade 7

  • Goal 2: The learner will synthesize and use information from a variety of sources.
    • Objective 2.01: Respond to informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
      • monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard and/or viewed.
      • analyzing the characteristics of informational works.
      • summarizing information.
      • determining the importance of information.
      • making connections to related topics/information.
      • drawing inferences and/or conclusions.
      • generating questions.
  • Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
    • Objective 5.01: Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive reading program by:
      • using effective reading strategies to match type of text.
      • reading self-selected literature and other materials of individual interest.
      • reading literature and other materials selected by the teacher.
      • assuming an active role in teacher-student conferences.
      • engaging in small group discussions.
      • taking an active role in whole class seminars.
      • analyzing the effects on texts of such literary devices as figuarative language, dialogue, flashback, allusion, and irony.
      • analyzing the effects of such elements as plot, theme, point of view, characterization, mood, and style.
      • analyzing themes and central ideas in literature and other texts in relation to personal issues/experiences.
      • extending understanding by creating products for different purposes, different audiences and within various contexts.
      • analyzing the connections of relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts, and/or experiences.

Grade 8

  • Goal 2: The learner will use and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
    • Objective 2.01: Analyze and evaluate informational materials that are read, heard, and/or viewed by:
      • monitoring comprehension for understanding of what is read, heard and/or viewed.
      • recognizing the characteristics of informational materials.
      • summarizing information.
      • determining the importance of information.
      • making connections to related topics/information.
      • drawing inferences.
      • generating questions.
      • extending ideas.
  • Goal 5: The learner will respond to various literary genres using interpretive and evaluative processes.
    • Objective 5.01: Increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a meaningful and comprehensive literacy program by:
      • using effective reading strategies to match type of text.
      • reading self-selected literature and other materials of interest to the individual.
      • reading literature and other materials selected by the teacher.
      • assuming a leadership role in student-teacher reading conferences.
      • leading small group discussions.
      • taking an active role in whole class seminars.
      • analyzing the effects of elements such as plot, theme, charaterization, style, mood, and tone.
      • discussing the effects of such literary devices as figurative language, dialogue, flashback, allusion, irony, and symbolism.
      • analyzing and evaluating themes and central ideas in literature and other texts in relation to personal and societal issues.
      • extending understanding by creating products for different purposes, different audiences, and within various contexts.
      • analyzing and evaluating the relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts, and/or experiences.