• Copies of text with stopping points marked
• Say Something prompt cards
• Partner seating arrangement

Select text and mark 4-6 stopping points at natural breaks. Create prompt cards with options: Make a prediction, Ask a question, Make a connection, Share a reaction, Summarize so far. Assign reading partners.

1. Pair students and distribute marked texts. Explain: 'You'll read with a partner and stop to talk about the text.'
2. Model with a student volunteer. Read first section aloud, stop at mark, then 'say something': 'I'm wondering why rainforests have so many species. That connects to what we learned about habitats.'
3. Show prompt cards and explain options for what to 'say': predictions, questions, connections, reactions, or summaries.
4. Partner A reads first section aloud while Partner B follows along.
5. At the stop mark, Partner B 'says something' about what was just read.
6. Partners switch roles for next section.
7. Continue alternating through the text.
8. Whole class: Share interesting observations and questions that emerged.

Pre-teach vocabulary for struggling readers. Provide sentence stems: 'I predict...', 'I wonder...', 'This reminds me of...' Pair strategic readers together. For advanced pairs, remove prompt cards and let responses be open-ended.

Circulate and listen to partner conversations. Note quality of observations and questions. Check for text evidence in responses. Use observations to guide whole-class discussion.