Joy Jones
Reading to Learn Rationale: Summarization is the most important comprehension strategy, and should be taught to maturing readers.  Using expository text, readers can read and then choose important information to help them remember the text.  Summarizing texts using outlines is an efficient and easy way to teach
readers comprehension skills.  In this activity, students will learn to use outlines as a
comprehension strategy.

Materials: A copy of two excerpts (pages 6 & 27) from Reptile by Colin McCarthy for each student, pencil and paper for each student, chart paper and marker for teacher.

Procedure:Review silent reading.  When we read silently we are able to better comprehend what we read.Today we are going to learn how to write an outline.  An outline helps us to remember what we have read. First, I want each of you to read the article I have passed out about reptiles.  Remember to read silently.  "There are four groups of reptiles alive today: turtles and tortoises, snakes and lizards, the crocodile family, and the tuatara.  Reptiles, like fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals are vertebrates (they have backbones), and their young are usually born on land.  When reptiles hatch from their
eggs, they look like mini-versions of their parents.  Reptiles have scaly skin, which is good
at keeping body moisture, so they can live in dry places.  The skin is less successful at
keeping in body heat.  Therefore, reptiles depend on their surroundings for warmth.
Although considered cold-blooded, the blood of a sun-warmed reptile is about the same
temperature as ours"  (P.6 Reptiles). Now that everyone has finished reading, lets learn how to write and outline.  An outline will help us remember information in the text that we have read.  I will then model how an outline is written on chart paper.
Main Topic
A.) Sub-topic
    1. Fact
    2. Fact
    3. Fact
    4. Fact
B.) Sub-topic
    1. Fact
    2. Fact
    3. Fact
    4. Fact
This is a good way to outline this article, but each article is different.  You always want to write the main topic, sub-topics, and facts about the article.  Now I would like you to help me fill in this outline.
What is the main topic, or what is this article about?  Reptiles are the main topic.  What is an important fact that we read about in this article?  You may look back in the text to help you recall.  There are four groups of reptiles; this is a great sub-topic.  What are the four groups? We can write these in the fact blanks.  I am going to help you with the next sub-topic because it is not about reptiles in this article?  I will fill in facts in the outline as the students name them.  What is a good sub-topic to describe these facts?  What sort of facts are these?  Yes, they are facts about reptiles.  So the sub-topic could be “Facts about reptiles.”  Here is an example of the finished outline would look like.
Reptiles
(A).  Four Groups of Reptiles
    1.  turtles and tortoises
    2. snakes and lizards
    3. the crocodile family
    4. the tuatara
(B).  Reptile Facts
    1.  reptiles are vertebrates
    2. reptile young are born on land
    3. reptile young look like mini-versions of their parents
    4. reptiles have scaly skin
    5. reptiles are cold-blooded
Assessment: I will pass out a new experience article about snakes from page 27 of Reptile by Colin
McCarthy.  I will also pass out an outline for the students to fill in after they have read the
text.  Students will work in pairs to help them practice this new strategy.
Reference:
lhttp://www.auburn.edu/rdggenie/insights/langrl.html McCarthy, Colin. Reptile
Dorling Kindersly, New York.

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