---
title: I Used to Think / Now I Think
description: Students will use the I Used to Think/Now I Think strategy to help them determine specific text evidence and infer information drawn from text.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/i_used_to_think_now_i_think-001.png
---

**Subject: ELA (English Language Arts)**

**Lesson Length: 30 - 45 mins**

**Topic: Text Evidence and Inferences**

**Grade Level: 4, 5, 6, 7**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.1](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)
- [CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1](https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf)

**Brief Description:**  Students will use the "I Used to Think/Now I Think" strategy to help them determine specific text evidence and infer information drawn from text. They will create a comic to demonstrate their understanding before and after reading.

**Know Before You Start:** This lesson uses the thinking strategy "I Used to Think/Now I Think." You will need to provide two passages for students to read.

**Hook:**

- Read and discuss a selected piece of text.
- Display the sample comic and use it to model how to analyze the material presented by using the protocol "I Used to Think/Now I Think."
- Ask students to share ideas or perceptions prior to reading the text. 
- Then, ask students to discuss new things learned or ideas that were clarified from the reading. 

**Activity:**

- Provide students with another selected text material. 
- After reading the text independently, have students create a two-panel comic to demonstrate their thoughts before and after reading. 
    - **Panel 1:** I Used to Think
    - **Panel 2:** Now I Think

**Closure:**

- Give students an opportunity to share their comics with others.
- Discuss how using the "I Used to Think/Now I Think" strategy can be used with all types of text materials to better understand the content.

**Differentiation:**

- Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
- Adjust selected text based on students’ reading level or provide audio recording.
- Print out panels with headings for students to plan their writing.

**Resources:**

- [Comic](https://share.pixton.com/qkpwsie) to print or display
- Teacher selected text/reading material

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/thumbnail-volcanoes%20(1).png) Volcano ](https://content.pixton.com/volcano)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1806750045945626624/thumbnail.png) U.S. Justice System ](https://content.pixton.com/u.s.-justice-system)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2078530841190330368/thumbnail.png) Elementary School ](https://content.pixton.com/elementary-school)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/2078531110531739648/thumbnail.png) Middle School ](https://content.pixton.com/middle-school)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1725508932157444096/thumbnail.png) Old West ](https://content.pixton.com/old-west)
- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1707917884715569152/thumbnail.png) Solar System ](https://content.pixton.com/solar-system)

Assign Activity

## Related Ideas

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/see_think_wonder-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/see-think-wonder)

### [See, Think, Wonder](https://ideas.pixton.com/see-think-wonder)

Students will use the "See, Think, Wonder" strategy to help them better understand scientific information or text. They’ll demonstrate their understanding in a comic.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/what_so_what_now_what_-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/what-so-what-now-what)

### [What? So What? Now What?](https://ideas.pixton.com/what-so-what-now-what)

In this lesson students will learn to better comprehend and check their understanding of nonfiction text by asking reflective questions. 

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/summary_tweet_more_-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/summary-tweet)

### [Summary Tweet](https://ideas.pixton.com/summary-tweet)

Students will read an informational article and determine the central ideas of the text.