STRATEGIES FOR USING THE CHANGE AGENT ARTICLES
Pre‑reading:
Students
- Formulate their own questions/own purpose for reading
- Relate the theme of the reading story to their own experience
- Identify prior knowledge
- create a mind map about what they already know about the subject
- make a chart of what they know and what they want to know
- Write their own story from key words
- Discuss elements that will help them predict what the piece will be about:
- the title, author, format of newspapers and articles
- key words from the piece, captions, the first sentence or a short excerpt
- Look at the graphic information to predict what the reading is about
Teacher
- Reads comprehension questions first
- Reads it aloud to students first
- Discusses the reading process and strategies
Reading:
Students
- Read the first paragraph. Were the 5W questions answered? Their own questions? What new ones do they have?
- Make a statement and find facts to support or dispute it.
- Scan for information, using vocabulary and format clues
- Continue to predict along the way
- “Write back” to the text along the way
- If it's a story, write own ending before reading the real one
After Reading:
Students
- Check text against their predictions (and discuss why they were correct or not)
- Discuss inferential/referential questions before detail/informational questions
- Retell (paraphrase) the reading, noting key points or various perspectives
- Make a timeline of events
- Illustrate key ideas or moments from the reading
- Discuss characters, role play scenes, write to a character or as a character
- Write their own comprehension questions and math problems
- Discuss their reactions to the reading; how the article confirms or contradicts their beliefs or expectations
- Discuss themes, issues, facts v. opinions ‑ support their points with the text
- Pick words they want to remember and make sentences with them
- Write or identify existing songs that reflect the main themes of the reading
- Create a body movement or sculpture that that reflects the main themes of the reading
Teacher
- Directs students to other sources of information on the topic
- Does a dictation
