These lessons would take place when you launch your study of mood. For much more information, pick up a copy of Teaching Interpretation: Using Text-Based Evidence to Construct Meaning, and see Chapter 2.
Minilesson #1- Begin by looking at photographs and describing the mood of the scene. Model finding text evidence.
Minilesson #2- Listen to a song such as “Touch the Sky,” from the movie Disney Pixar film, Brave or Imagine by the Beatles. Have students generate initial claims about the mood of the song, read the song lyrics, and create interpretations.
Minilesson #3- Read a text such as A Nation’s Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis and have students analyze the mood of the text. Model finding text evidence and ordering their evidence from weakest to strongest.
Minilesson #4- Do a close reading of a text such as Dr. King’s speech. Ask students to generate claims about the mood of the text. Have students locate text evidence that reveals the mood of Dr. King’s speech.
Minilesson #5- Discuss and debate the claims and evidence students found for the previous lesson. Have students create a thesis statement and write a paragraph or reader’s notebook response.
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