Grades 6–8 · Quote it, name what you notice, infer, and say why it matters.
When a passage pulls you in, slow down before you react. Pick a short stretch — two or three sentences — and copy it word for word in the first column. In the next column, write only what you literally see: who is speaking, what image or repetition jumps out, what word is doing unexpected work. Move from there to what you think the passage is doing beneath the surface — the inference. Finally, connect that back to what the whole text is arguing: why this passage, in this place, carries weight. Tag the move you made in the last column (Surprise, Question, Claim, Evidence, or Link). Try it first on the Grade 8 lesson “Dreams Deferred, Dreams Reclaimed” — pick a stanza from Langston Hughes and every column fills up in one sitting.
| Quote or passage | What I literally see | What I infer (read between the lines) | Why it matters (the bigger claim) | Move (Surprise / Question / Claim / Evidence / Link) |
|---|---|---|---|---|