Teach the Text Backwards
- Traditional sequence is 1) read the text,
2)answer the questions at the end of the chapter, 3)discuss
the material, and 4)do the applications or expansions.
- Doing an application or expansion first can
be used to motivate students, draw on prior knowledge and
establish a purpose for learning.
- Conducting and discussing the activity introduces
new language and concepts.
- Examining the study questions and summary
at the end of the chapter previews the reading and identifies
key concepts.
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THIEVES
- This is a great strategy for previewing textbook
chapters.
- First you read the TITLE.
- Read the HEADINGS (bold and in sequence).
- Read the INTRODUCTION (first two paragraphs)
- EVERY (first sentece of each paragraph)
- Read the VISUALS and VOCABULARY(caption,
illustrations, charts, graphs, maps).
- Read the END of the chapter questions.
- Read the SUMMARY (last two paragraphs)
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ABC Summarize
- Each student is given a letter of the alphabet
and they must think of one word or idea beginning with that
letter related to the topic studies.
- After reading students work in pairs or small
groups to think of words that reflect important points of
the story.
- Create a list of the most interesting words
generated by the groups and make a special point to hear each
justification.
- The result is a stretch of vocabulary and
a great conversation about the focus story.
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Graphic Organizers
- Make visually explicit the organizational
patterns of text.
- Can be used to facilitate prereading, postreading,
prewriting, revising, discussing and reasoning.
- Involves visual and verbal information.
- As teachers and students create them together
they learn from each other as they extend understandings of
concept.
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Web of Understanding
- Students sit in a circle and roll or toss
a ball of yarn back and forth across the group.
- As the ball comes to a student, that student
contributes an idea or piece of infomation, a reaction, retaelling,
main idea or important fact.
- Each student must have an opportunity to
touch the ball before anyone has a second turn.
- Great strategy to equalize the balance of
contributions to a review of the text or unit of study.
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Information Gap
- An activity where one student is provided
information that is kept from a partner.
- Informaiton may involve descriptions of pictures,
maps, or manipulatives.
- Learners are evaluated on their effectiveness
in bridging the information gap.
- Assesses the following language functions:
describing, giving information and giving directions.
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Save the Last Word for Me
- Have students read a designated text.
- Complete three to four index cards with the
following information:
- Side One: students select an idea, phrase,
quote, or fact from the text that evokes a response.
- Side Two: Students write their reaction
to what they wrote on side one.
- Students gather in small groups to discuss
the information.
- A student reads side one of his card, each
student in the group responds to the information shared.
- the sstudent who authored the card gets the
last word by sharing side two of his card.
- Process is repeated until everyone in the
group has shared.
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