Module 4

Overview:Reminder: Post Rough Drafts of Literacy Narratives to the

Writer’s Workshop Thread by February 3rdLiteracy Narrative Writing Activity to Support the Creation of

Your Literacy Narrative“Advice”

Chapter Two in Creating Literacy-Rich Schools for AdolescentsAbdurashid’s Story, pages 23-27Seven Defensible StrategiesChapter Four in Mosaic of ThoughtSupplemental Readings

“Close Reading as an Intervention for Struggling Middle School Readers”

“’Spacecraft Reveals Recent Geological Activity on the Moon’: Exploring the Features of NASA Twitter Posts and Their Potential to Engage Adolescents”

“Advice” Writing Activity for the Literacy Narrative

Imagine you have a younger brother or sister who is just starting college this fall. He/she has neglected his/her reading and writing but suddenly wants to get serious. Make a list of your ten best tips for becoming a better college reader and a better college writer. Select one tip to write more in depth about.What experiences in college have taught you these lessons?

Write your advice and anecdotes in an engaging way with enough detail to be really helpful to this person whose success you care about.

Chapter Two in Creating Literacy Rich Schools for Adolescents: Essential Question for All Content Area ClassesEssential Question:

“Do all courses throughout a student’s day capitalize on the student’s literacy and language as a way to learn new information?” (p. 23).As you think about this question, consider how you could capitalize on your student’s literacy practices to learn new information.

Abdurashid’s Story

Revisit Abdurashid’s Story on page 23. (I have also linked it in the module.)

Revisit the essential question for this chapter: “Do all courses throughout a student’s day capitalize on the student’s literacy and language as a way to learn new information?” (p. 23).

Herbert Hoover High School and San Diego State University Participatory Action Research Project• “Content area classrooms should be organized around

themes, big ideas, or essential questions” (p. 24).• “Students are expected to read and write in every

class”• The general focus was on strategies for helping

students read and write increasingly complex text.• Use better, readable texts to motivate students to read

– “Using one grade-level textbook often ensures that students who struggle will have to rely on just listening to learn the required information” (p. 52).

• Seven Defensible Strategies for Reading and Writing in All Content Areas– Transportable Literacy Strategies:

• “Students use the strategies they learn in one class to comprehend in another” (p. 22).

– Transparent Literacy Strategies:• “Strategies become part of the students’ thinking and students

automatically apply the strategies ‘on the run’” (p. 22).

Seven Defensible Strategies for Reading and Writing in Content Area Classrooms

(1) Anticipatory Activities (Activating Prior Knowledge)Anticipation GuidesQuick WritesKWLDiscussion

(2) Read Alouds (Shared Reading where students see the text too) Teachers advised to read aloud for five minutes every day in every class. The purpose is to build background knowledge, develop vocabulary, foster a love of reading, and teach text structure.

(3) Graphic Organizers (concept maps, flow diagrams, tree diagrams, matrices)

(4) Vocabulary Instruction(5) Writing to Learn(6) Structured Note Taking(7) Reciprocal Teaching (Predicting, Questioning,

Clarifying, Summarizing)

Example of a Graphic Organizer: KWL Charts

Know Want to Know

Learned Still Want to Learn

Affective Domain

Structured Note Taking: Cornell Notes

1. Divide your paper into two columns.2. Leave the Left column blank.3. Take notes over a lecture, reading, film,

discussion etc. in the Right column.4. Within an hour or two of completing notes,

fill in the Left column with “recall” notes over the main idea, important details, questions you want to revisit etc.

Sample Cornell NotesDefinition of Personality Trait

Freud’s Theories

Theories about the unconscious mind

How does the unconscious mind communicate to the conscious mind?

Personality trait = durable disposition to behave in a particular way in a variety of situations.

Components of personality from Freud’s theories include mid-primitive, instinctive, ego-decision-making, levels of self awareness.

Unconscious thoughts , memories and desires are below the surface of conscious thoughts but have great influence on behavior.

Jung developed a theory about a collective unconscious that contained shared archetypes across cultures and ancient civilizations, and contemporary society.

Reciprocal Teaching Activity

Please refer to the policy brief titled “Literacies of Disciplines” and complete the following steps in the reciprocal teaching method.

Begin with considering the title of this policy brief.

Take a few minutes and think through writing about the title, “Literacies of Disciplines.” • What do these words make you think about?• What does this title make you think the policy

brief is going to assert? • Convert the title into a question.

Reciprocal Teaching cont.Read the first paragraph. As you read, underline

words you do not know.Summarize the main points of this paragraph.What questions does this paragraph raise for

you?What do you need clarified in this passage? What

does not make sense to you?What is the author going to discuss or assert next?

(Predict)

Reciprocal Teaching Activity continued

Read the next three paragraphs. Underline the words you do not know as you read.

Summarize the main ideas of the paragraphs.What questions do these paragraphs raise for you?What do you need clarified in this passage? What

does not make sense to you?What is the author going to discuss or assert next

(predict)?

Reciprocal Teaching continuedRead the remainder of the policy brief. Continue to

underline words you do not know.Predict what the author will say in each paragraph as

you read.In writing, summarize the main ideas of this policy

brief. Jot down questions this policy brief raises for you.Look at the words you’ve underlined. Note the words

you still feel uncertain about as well as concepts that are confusing to you and you would need to clarify.

Discuss your reactions to the brief.

Pause and Reflect:What is reciprocal teaching? What are the steps

that must be in place with this reading method?What are different ways a teacher could enact

these steps (e.g., small groups, whole class, in a virtual setting)?

When should a classroom teacher use this method?

Why do you think this method has a proven research base of improving students’ reading comprehension in K-12 settings in every content area?

What did you learn about reciprocal teaching from going through these steps?

Key Ideas about Reading Comprehension from Chapter Four in Mosaic of ThoughtUsing Relevant Background Knowledge or Schema

Activating prior knowledge at a conceptual level Activating prior knowledge should be taught explicitly

using a variety of texts over a long period of time Six Types of Schema (page 100-101)

Gradual Release of Responsibility Model of Teaching for Teaching Comprehension Strategies

Planning Phase Early Phase Middle Phase Late Phase

Writer’s WorkshopRemember to respond to at least three rough drafts of literacy narratives posted to the writer’s workshop thread

Supplemental ReadingsPlease take some time to read the following articles to add to the chapters assigned for this week.

“Close Reading as an Intervention for Struggling Middle School Readers”

“’Spacecraft Reveals Recent Geological Activity on the Moon’: Exploring the Features of NASA Twitter Posts and Their Potential to Engage Adolescents”