1 / 20

Module 2: Content-Area Literacy

Module 2: Content-Area Literacy. Adolescent Literacy – Professional Development. Unit 3, Session 3. Text Considerations, Part 2. Multiple Texts and Multiple Purposes. Essential Questions. Module 2 Question

carter
Download Presentation

Module 2: Content-Area Literacy

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Module 2:Content-Area Literacy Adolescent Literacy – Professional Development Unit 3, Session 3

  2. Text Considerations, Part 2 Multiple Texts and Multiple Purposes

  3. Essential Questions • Module 2 Question • What role can content-area teachers play in helping adolescents acquire general and discipline-specific literacy skills? • Unit 3, Session 3 Questions • Why might teachers use multiple texts to teach content-area concepts? • How can text sets promote critical disciplinary thinking? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  4. Warm-Up:The Power & Pitfalls of Textbooks • Most content-area teachers use textbooks as one major source of information for students. This makes sense for several reasons: • Providing common language and experiences for students • Reducing the number of materials students must manage • Providing students with clear expectations for reading/writing • Ease of planning (i.e., text and questions/assignments included) Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  5. The Power & Pitfalls of Textbooks • However, the quality of textbooks vary… • Individually, in pairs, or in small groups, use one (or both!) of these textbook evaluation forms to determine the quality of one of your textbooks. • Form 1 • Form 2 • What are the text’s strengths? Weaknesses? • What are the forms’ strengths? Weaknesses? • Which text features could you explicitly review with students to help them successfully navigate and learn from textbooks? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  6. Common Text Features to Teach • Table of contents • Glossary • Index • Tables • Margin notes • Headings • Captions • Illustrations • Charts • Graphs • Bold words How are these features similar/different across content-area texts? Examples are from presentations hosted on www.fisherandfrey.com http://www.fisherandfrey.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/grr-nj-blog.ppt Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  7. How to Read a Math Textbook Principles for Students Reading Math Textbooks (by Jim Donohue, in Tovani [2004], p. 26) • Read/reread with a pencil and paper in hand for notes. • There are never enough commas. Insert your own pauses to help you slow down. • Draw and label diagrams as you go. • Think about related problems and procedures as you read. • You can’t just read; you have to “do it” as you go. • Follow the instructions. • The figures and tables are important. • The same number has different faces (one quarter, ¼, .25). • Mathematical writing has an idiosyncratic structure that when mastered will aid in constructing meaning. How might these principles be similar/different in other content areas? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  8. What Else Are We Using? • Given the Power and Pitfalls of Textbooks… • What other texts are you already using/could you use to supplement the textbook? • How can “text” be defined broadly, to include graphs/charts/digital resources? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  9. Using Multiple Texts • Shanahan (2003). Using Multiple Texts to Teach Content(Pages 1–3) • What do you see Shanahan saying in the article? • What do you think about what is being said? • What does it make you wonder about your own classes? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  10. Using Multiple Texts • Often, using textbooks as a single source doesn’t encourage the information gathering/synthesis skills students need. • Shanahan (2003). Using Multiple Texts to Teach Content: • Construction of knowledge • A focus on purposes for reading • Critical thinking and evaluation of texts • Disciplinary thinking (e.g., gathering, evaluating, summarizing, synthesizing, critiquing) Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  11. Considering Text Accessibility • Multiple texts (at different reading levels) provide: • Opportunities for choice • Opportunities for students with different reading levels to select texts they find accessible • Opportunities for critical review, comparison, and synthesis across texts Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  12. Creating & Using Text Sets • Text Sets – collections of books, articles, digital resources, etc. that represent a range of reading levels – all focused on a particular theme/purpose • Topic-specific (death penalty, photosynthesis, exponents) • Genre-specific (poems, memoirs, word problems) • Author-specific (Benjamin Franklin, Toni Morrison, Charles Darwin) Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  13. Creating & Using Text Sets • Text Sets – from Tovani (2004), p. 43. • Contain a wide variety of written texts • Contain materials that vary in length, difficulty, and text structure • Contain examples of text that are relevant, interesting, and accessible to most students • Give students several options for obtaining information Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  14. Creating & Using Text Sets • Text sets can be made available for: • Particular units of instruction • Vietnam War, cellular respiration, Pythagorean theorem • The class library • If made available in a classroom library and organized by topic, genre, author, students can reference these materials during independent reading and work sessions. Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  15. Isn’t This Just for English & History? • Not necessarily… though it is a bit trickier in Science and Math classes • From Tovani (2004), p. 48 • Science Classes: • Reference materials, field guides, biographies, scientists’ journals, current events/news items, technical manuals • Math Classes: • Descriptions of famous mathematicians, graphs, proofs, essays on mathematical discoveries, statistical reports Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  16. Browsing Text Sets • Browse the Text Sets Available • How might you use these in your classes? • How can text sets promote an inquiry approach to reading (i.e., reading to ask/answer questions) • What content concepts would you emphasize? • What disciplinary thinking habits would you emphasize? • What might make the creation/use of text sets difficult? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  17. Wrap-Up • Things to Remember: • Textbooks are powerful tools • Students need to know how to navigate textbooks • Yet, providing multiple texts for each unit allows: • Choice of texts (increasing motivation/engagement) • Texts at different reading levels all students can access • Texts of different genres (motivation/engagement) • Opportunities for critical analysis/review/comparison Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  18. Further Study • Try offering students multiple texts (this can be as few as 3–4) to read on a topic. Then note the following: • What happened? What worked well? What challenges did you encounter? • Which disciplinary-specific strategies/skills did you (might you) explicitly teach? Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  19. References • Ebbers, M. (2002). Science text sets: Using various genres to promote literacy and inquiry. Language Arts, 80(1), 40–50. Retrieved from http://www.ed.sc.edu/raisse/pdf/ScienceArticles/ScienceTextSets-UsingVariousGenrestoPromoteLiteracy.pdf • Egawa, K. (n.d.). An exploration of text sets: Supporting all readers. Available from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/exploration-text-sets-supporting-305.html Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

  20. References Keys, C., & Bryan, L. (2001). Co-constructing inquiry-based science with teachers. Journal of Research inScience Teaching, 38 (6), 631–645. Shanahan, C. (2003). Using multiple texts to teach content. Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Tovani, C. (2004). Ch. 4. Real rigor: Connecting students with accessible texts. In Do I really have to teach reading? Content comprehension, grades 6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. Module 2: Unit 3, Session 3

More Related