Heather Grenon
Rationale:
One objective we have for students reading is to learn and retain
information. Reading to learn is what all children eventually learn
to do. This skill can be learned and practiced through reading and
summarizing passages.
Materials:
Non-fiction books (Science book), pen, paper, Discovery magazine,
Holt Science Book, 1989.
Procedure:
1. "Get out your science book and read pages 10-15 about snakes and
lizards." Students should be encouraged to read silently so they
can read and retain information at their own pace. "Practice reading
fast over trivial details and slower over important facts you want to remember."
2. Before setting them loose to read silently on their own, I will
review facts we have previously discussed about snakes and lizards.
For example, snakes are reptiles and they use the sun and shade to regulate
their body temperature since they are cold-blooded animals.
3. "Go ahead and begin reading now. Remember to pay extra careful
attention to the facts so you can remember them." Students should
begin reading.
4. "When you finish reading, I would like you to draw a Venn diagram
like this one (demonstrate on the board) on your paper."
5. "After you have filled out your Venn diagram, summarize in a few
paragraphs what you included in the Venn diagram. Be sure to look
at the facts you included in your diagram."
6. I will model summarization (I will read a small paragraph in a Ranger
Rick magazine and summarize it). The magazine article is on reptiles.
I will summarize that article on the board by stating that reptiles are
cold-blooded animals. They use the sun and shade to regulate their
body temperature, etc. "Do you see how I have highlighted the main
points from the article to share with you. This is how you summarize
something. Are there any questions?"
Assessment:
I will have the students read another article from Ranger Rick
about snakes in class. They will use this article to summarize on
their own. They will switch papers with their partner for assessment
to make suggestions. They will then turn their final summaries into
me.
References:
Holt Science. Rhinehart and Winston, Inc. 1989. pages
312-315. Discovery Magazine
Pressley, M. Johnson, C. J. Symons, McGoldrick, J.A. (1989) Strategies
that improve Children's Memory and Comprehension of Text. "The Elementary
School Journal." 90, 3-32.
Click here to return to Elucidations.