Activity Overview
| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Making connections is a very important skill to acquire and perfect. The Story of Ruby Bridges is a great story for students to connect to on many different levels. In this activity, students will be making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students should choose which connection they want to make first and work to write a narrative for that. Once all three connections have been made, students can work on their illustrations.
TEXT TO TEXT
This story reminded me of another story I had read called, Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni. It tells the story of the brave Rosa Parks and how she would not give up her seat on the bus. Both these texts have strong female characters that stand up for what they believe in.
TEXT TO WORLD
The angry mobs in the story reminded me of a news broadcast where I saw the employees of a grocery store on strike.
TEXT TO SELF
Eventually Ruby's school was desegregated and she went to school with all different races. This reminds me of my school. There are many races present.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with The Story of Ruby Bridges. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
- Write a description of how the text relates to another text, the world, and you.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Connections | Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled two text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled one text connection correctly. |
| Examples of Connections | All examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
Activity Overview
| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Making connections is a very important skill to acquire and perfect. The Story of Ruby Bridges is a great story for students to connect to on many different levels. In this activity, students will be making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students should choose which connection they want to make first and work to write a narrative for that. Once all three connections have been made, students can work on their illustrations.
TEXT TO TEXT
This story reminded me of another story I had read called, Rosa, by Nikki Giovanni. It tells the story of the brave Rosa Parks and how she would not give up her seat on the bus. Both these texts have strong female characters that stand up for what they believe in.
TEXT TO WORLD
The angry mobs in the story reminded me of a news broadcast where I saw the employees of a grocery store on strike.
TEXT TO SELF
Eventually Ruby's school was desegregated and she went to school with all different races. This reminds me of my school. There are many races present.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with The Story of Ruby Bridges. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Create an image for each connection using scenes, characters, items, and text boxes.
- Write a description of how the text relates to another text, the world, and you.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text Connections | Student made and labeled all three text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled two text connections correctly. | Student made and labeled one text connection correctly. |
| Examples of Connections | All examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections support understanding of text. | Most examples of connections do not support understanding of text or are difficult to understand. |
| Illustration of Examples | Ideas are well organized. Images clearly show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are organized. Most images help to show the connections student made with the text. | Ideas are not well organized. Images are difficult to understand. |
How Tos about Making Text Connections from The Story of Ruby Bridges
How to facilitate meaningful class discussions about text connections
Encourage open-ended questions to invite students to share their thoughts and make personal, text-to-text, or text-to-world connections. This fosters deeper engagement and helps all students feel their ideas are valued.
Model making your own text connections aloud
Think aloud as you read by sharing your own connections to the text, your experiences, or other stories. This demonstrates the process and builds students’ confidence to do the same.
Use sentence starters to scaffold participation
Provide prompts like “This reminds me of…”, “I felt… when…”, or “This is similar to…” to help students articulate their connections. Scaffolding supports reluctant or struggling learners.
Create a safe and respectful environment for sharing
Set ground rules for listening and responding respectfully to classmates’ ideas. This encourages students to be open and authentic with their connections.
Celebrate diverse perspectives and connections
Acknowledge and highlight different types of connections students make, relating them back to the text or overarching theme. This validates various backgrounds and experiences, enriching class understanding.
Frequently Asked Questions about Making Text Connections from The Story of Ruby Bridges
What are text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections in reading?
Text-to-text connections relate a story to another book; text-to-self connections link the story to your own life; text-to-world connections compare the story to real events happening in the world. Making these connections helps students deepen understanding and engagement with the text.
How can I teach students to make connections using The Story of Ruby Bridges?
Encourage students to identify moments in The Story of Ruby Bridges that remind them of other books, their personal experiences, or real-world events. Ask them to write or draw examples for each type: text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world. This approach builds comprehension and empathy.
What is an example of a text-to-text connection with The Story of Ruby Bridges?
An example is connecting The Story of Ruby Bridges to the book Rosa by Nikki Giovanni. Both stories feature courageous women who stood up for equality, allowing students to compare themes of bravery and social justice.
Why is making text connections important for elementary students?
Making text connections helps young readers relate new information to what they already know. This boosts comprehension, retention, and critical thinking, making reading more meaningful and memorable.
What is an easy classroom activity for teaching text connections with The Story of Ruby Bridges?
Have students create a storyboard showing one example each of text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections. They can draw scenes and write short descriptions, making the lesson interactive and accessible.
More Storyboard That Activities
Story of Ruby Bridges, The
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