This is so good--it is going in my notebook. Thanks for the thorough explanation.
The most successful lesson I did with determining importance was with my second grade class and The Important Book. After reading this book and researching desserts, we used the structure to create our own nonfiction books. Lori Jackson District Literacy Coach and Mentor Todd County School District Box 87 Mission SD 5755 ----- Original message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 7:11 PM Subject: [MOSAIC] Text structure and comprehension > Hi everyone, > I have been developing some ideas for teaching non-fiction text structures > that have really been helping my second graders internalize this abstract > concept. > > Two of these I have mentioned before: > On the To Understand list, Peter posted a lesson on using a dresser analogy > to teach nonfiction. If you look on the To Understand archives on the > readinglady.com home page under a Wow Moment...you'll find it. The idea > behind the > dresser is that just like you have a sock drawer and a sweatshirt drawer in > your dresser...where you can open that drawer you will be easily able to > find > what you need. Non fiction books have drawers too... the subtitles help the > reader know what he or she will find in that section. I used Peter's idea > with > great success. It is a great lesson. > > My colleague and I then branched out and used a staircase to teach the > chronological/sequential text structures of biographies. As they read a > simple > biography of Dr. Seuss, the kids identified what the author wanted them to > learn > in each section...then we laid those ideas out on sentence strips on a stair > case. Kids quickly realized that unlike books organized like a dresser, you > can't just hop to any part of the book as easily and have it make > sense...you > need to know what comes before and after. > > After teaching those two...we gave kids a choice and they had to figure out > if the books they chose to read were like a dresser or like a staircase...and > > they totally got it! These are kids that are all below level but are > internalizing these abstract concepts. I think they are getting it because we > are > taking our time and teaching for depth... The concrete models help but I > think > the way we have asked the kids to discover for themselves how a book is like > a dresser or staircase has helped too. Constructed knowledge is powerful > knowledge. > > This week, we have started discussing descriptive text structures. I brought > to school a floor length mirror and laid it on its side in the middle of the > classroom rug. I asked the kids to think about how a book could be like a > mirror. I divided the class in half...one on the side of the mirror, the > other > seeing only the back of the mirror. We began the lesson by putting objects > in > front of the mirror and the kids on the mirror side had to start describing > the object to the kids who couldn't see the object on the other side. The > key here was they had to describe what they saw in the mirror...they > couldn't > just start telling all they knew about it. The idea behind the mirror was to > first help kids know what describing really was and THEN move it to an > abstract level. They told what they saw in the mirror...and the nonfiction > book was > really the mirror and you as the reader can see what aspects of the object > the author wants you to see! Does that make sense? Then we used Tomie > DePaalo's > Quicksand book to identify portions of it that were like a mirror...the > parts telling you all about the features of quicksand. > > I wasn't sure if this mirror thing would work but I have to tell you it > really did help second graders get the idea that some books use words to > show you > what something is like...you can get a picture of it...just like a > reflection in the mirror. Tomorrow we will make our own list of what > descriptive text > structures are like. > > Later this week, we are going to do cause and effect structures.... We are > thinking of using a light bulb with a pull string for an analogy for this > one...but I am open to ideas! > > This is the first time I have really spent this much time on text structures > with little people but it is paying dividends in comprehension. It seems to > be helping them determine importance. > I would love to explore that idea with the rest of you... > Have any of you taught determining importance with text structures? How has > it worked for you? > Jennifer > > **************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a > recession. > (http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000002) > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
