Critical Literacy

Critically Literate Angela Maiers,2008 angelamaiers.com ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Code Breaker Text User 21st Century Reading Proficiency Text Critic Meaning Maker ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Ultimately, the product that any writer has to sell is not the subject being written about, but who he or she is. This is the personal transaction that is at the heart of great reading and great writing. From: Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Powerful Writing By William Inset, pp.5-6 ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Do YOU believe? ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Say Hello to Dalton Sherman ©Angela Maiers, 2008

NAEP Content Area Findings 2005 “High school seniors demonstrated consistently low performance across content areas when asked to move beyond literal level interpretations. Fewer than 10 percent appear to have a deep understanding of specialized material in which they are required to, evaluate, interpret, integrate, infer, analyze, generalize, and articulate conclusions from.” Accelerating Academic Achievement: A Summary of Findings from 20 years of NAEP, The National Assessment of Educational Progress, p.6. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Why does critical reading matter? • The author’s purpose for writing is… • The tone of this passage is? • The writer believes that… • Why did the author probably write this passage? • Which sentence helps convey the mood of the text? • Read the passage, which passage best describes the author’s purpose? • Which writer is most qualified to say . . . • The author thinks that . . . • The author is believable because… • The following assumptions about the author suggest… • The author uses sarcasm to…. • The tone of this poem can best be described as…? • Why might the author recommend . . . • The purpose of this is to…? • What is this paragraph suggest that the authors’ believes that…? ©Angela Maiers, 2008

What is critical literacy? How do we teach it? 2 Goals: ©Angela Maiers, 2008

1. Topic of Writing :(What or Who Am I Writing About) Clearing Things Up! 2. Audience (Who Do I want to Say Something To?) Authors Purpose: To inform (Reason for Writing) To Instruct To entertain To persuade Features Structures Organization Text Form Tone Opinions Background/Bias Style Words Choose Perspective Author’s View Point/Pt of View Position, attitude, beliefs about The topic they are writing about Identified By… Validity Objectivity Relevancy Types of Support Decided By… Author’s Credibility/Craft ©Angela Maiers, 2008

POP QUIZ: CRITICAL READING • What is the author’s purpose for writing nonfiction? Describe three of those purposes. • How is an authors point of view different in fiction texts than in nonfiction texts? • Name three ways a reader can determine the writers attitude or view of the topic he/she is writing about? • What is difference between tone and mood? • Does bias exist in all nonfiction text ? Explain ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Getting Started… ©Angela Maiers, 2008

READ/THINK LIKE A WRITER!!! • What do I know about, care about, or have researched enough about to write down? (TOPIC) • What is my goal in writing this information down? What do I want to accomplish by writing this information down? (PURPOSE) • Who would benefit from knowing these facts? (AUDIENCE) • What would be the best way to share this information with my readers? (FORMAT) • How should I organize the information so the reader can easily read and understand it? (STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION) • What can I do hook readers’ attention? (FEATURES/STYLE) • How do I know this is my very best writing? (CRAFT/CREDIBILITY) ©Angela Maiers, 2008

WE MUST Get Them To Think About the Writer! ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Critical Literacy • Author purpose • Author intention • Author motivation • Author viewpoint • Author point of view • Author bias • Analysis of author credibility • Validity of author’s writing • Adequacy of a author’s writing • Relevance of author’s writing • Tools of craft used by author to affect thinking • Making overall judgments and inference about author’s work ©Angela Maiers, 2008

1. Topic of Writing :(What or Who Am I Writing About) Clearing Things Up! 2. Audience (Who Do I want to Say Something To?) Authors Purpose: To inform (Reason for Writing) To Instruct To entertain To persuade Features Structures Organization Text Form Tone Opinions Background/Bias Style Words Choose Perspective Author’s View Point/Pt of View Position, attitude, beliefs about The topic they are writing about Identified By… Validity Objectivity Relevancy Types of Support Decided By… Author’s Credibility/Craft ©Angela Maiers, 2008

ALL Writers Write About… • Things they KNOW about • Things they CARE about • Things they WONDER about ©Angela Maiers, 2008

©Angela Maiers, 2008

Writing as CONSTUCTION ©Angela Maiers, 2008

How do Writers Construct Big Ideas Language/Words Text Features Visuals Text Structures ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Thinking Aloud: Writers Write for Readers As you go to write today and over the next few days, I want you to try very hard to keep me in mind. I am your audience, so it is important that I understand your message while I am reading your writing. You must remember that I am at home, just dying to learn about what you want to say. I am hoping that your writing has given me what I need to understand your message. Be sure to use what you know about great writers and the tools that they use. I am taking your writing home over the weekend and I can not wait to hear what you have to save and teach me about your topics. Take your time and PLAN CAREFULLY!! Love, Mrs. Maiers ©Angela Maiers, 2008

SARA ©Angela Maiers, 2008

JAKE ©Angela Maiers, 2008

First, put on your super hero shirt. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Encouraging the Relationship • Introduce Students to Writers • Talk About Writers using NAME • Domain Consistency: Writers of History, Writers of Mathematics • Bridge Text: Magic Tree House, Parrot Books ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Talking to the Author Name ______________________________________________ Date ___________ (+ for always, for sometimes, - for not yet) I, the reader: ___ notice/comment on the way a text is organized or the way in which information is withheld and presented ___ notice/comment on the words and vocabulary used ___ notice/comment on the style of the author ___ notice and identify conventions/textual codes used by the author ___ notice and comment on how conventions and constructions are used to make the author’s point ___ evaluate the way the text is written ___ indicate some conception of the author, what kind of purpose he/she has in writing this text, what kind of person they might be, and so on ___ consider the author’s meaning, the point being made through the text ___ indicate agreement, adaptation to, or argument with the author’s meaning ___ indicate reason for agreement or disagreement ___ indicate ways in which story meaning may inform my own thinking and action Which of these moves did you make in your latest text? Give examples. Which ones did you not try but think you might like to try with your next reading? ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Nonfiction Text Structures • Description • Compare/Contrast • Cause and Effect • Chronology/Sequence • Procedural • Persuasive • Question/Answer • Problem/Solution ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Text organizers Index Preface Table of contents Glossary Appendix Bibliography Footnote Photo Credit Fonts and effects Titles Headings Subheadings Boldface print Italics Bullets Captions Color, Size Labels Font Style Physical Text Features Graphics • Diagrams • Cutaways • Cross sections • Overlays • Tables • Graphs • Charts • Word bubbles • Timelines • Distribution • Maps • Flow Charts Illustrations and Photographs • Illustrations Icons • Photographs Visual Layout ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Final Step: Explicit Instruction • Author purpose • Author intention • Author motivation • Author viewpoint • Author point of view • Author bias • Analysis of author credibility • Validity of author’s writing • Adequacy of a author’s writing • Relevance of author’s writing • Tools of craft used by author to affect thinking • Making overall judgments and inference about author’s work ©Angela Maiers, 2008

Critical Literacy