I teach 5th LA and SS--Our enduring understandings for this six weeks in SS revolve around citizenship and government. Our LA focus strategies include determining importance, paraphrasing, and summarizing, as well as inferring character traits.
We are studying the biography genre in mini-lessons. I have a different philosophy from most---I love to find out about people past and present, but I can't tell you the last time I sat down and read a 300 page biography about a person assigned to me--Nor can I tell you the last time I read a 300 page biography as a personal decision regarding what to read as an adult! Many of my kids are striving readers, not all of them, but many do struggle with making meaning of text.... We will begin with everyone making a "Features of Non-Fiction" book, as well as teacher read aloud (Harvesting Hope--about Cesar Chavez) to begin an anchor chart about what to expect from the biography genre... I am going to use The Comprehension Toolkit and STW to teach lessons on finding the essence in nonfiction (Getting the gist) and I will also use the FQR chart for Facts, Questions, and Responses as a way to invite kids to slow the cognitive process down as they read biographical information from magazines, appropriately leveled texts, and internet sources. We will begin adding to a class chart based on inferring qualities of good leaders/good citizens..... I thought a nice project to reflect their research might be to make a "non-fiction" page about a famous American, as referred to in STW. A rubric can easily list criteria expected, such as a picture of a significant event including a caption, information regarding the person's childhood with important words bolded, etc...and of course a works cited/bibliography attached to cite sources for information. They will share their "non-fiction" page with the class and will be encouraged to dress as their "person". What will I have learned from this project? Do students know features of non-fiction text, and can they apply these features to their own non-fiction writing and creations?... Are students able to determine importance of information as they are reading? (Getting the Gist), also main idea..... Are students able to summarize and paraphrase information from sources? They will be required to read a paragraph for the FQR chart, then put the text away to write their facts, looking back if they need to, but never writing the info with the book in front of them...Then continue with this process to determine important info from a source... Are students engaging with non-fiction text in a way that causes them to think and question and wonder(FQR chart), or are they simply reading to regurgitate facts? Are students applying comprehension strategies of visualization, making connections, predicting, inferring, determining importance, and synthesis? Are students generalizing, drawing conclusions, and inferring and comparing/contrasting about SS ideas as they read and discuss non-fiction texts? Are students applying the above strategies to another subject area (SS), in terms of looking for patterns associated with leadership qualities, accomplishments, etc., and are students developing a framework for eras associated with famous Americans? Are students able to identify economic, political, cultural, diplomatic, and geographic significances to various events and leaders in US History? Are students able to construct and interpret timelines to accompany their learning? Lots to learn about learning and the learners, and still develop a love of learning and reading without RESEARCH TEARS, which leads to a disdain for reading to learn new information.... "My heart is singing for joy this morning. A miracle has happened! The light of understanding has shone upon my little pupil's mind, and behold, all things have changed." --Anne Sullivan Melinda Hawkins 5th Grade LA/SS McCulloch Intermediate School Highland Park ISD (214) 780-2325 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
