“The Ruum” Common Core Activities and Test
“The Ruum” by Arhur Porges is most likely the hardest story in our seventh grade Literature book for students to read. This means the story is perfect for a “close read”.
The problem is that many students just don’t know how to read closely. After I had my students read several paragraphs and groan the ever familiar, “I don’t get it”, I decided to give them a little help. I split the story into sections and created an active reading guide. This guide takes portions of the text and asks questions to help them along the way. After following the guide for half of the story, students read the second half and took notes on their own. I have found this the best way to teach students to complete a close read!
