Enhancing Critical Reading Skills: Strategies for Expository Texts

1. Critical Reading 1 Deep Reading Strategies for Expository Texts, Grades 6–12 Modified by Francine Avila and Gage MS Instructional Team.

2. Overall Objective Develop in students the ability to read, write about, and discuss challenging texts in order to prepare them for the rigors of academic environments.

3. Learning Goals for today Teachers will… • become more skilled in analyzing texts for pedagogical purposes. • explore different purposes for reading and discussing texts. • continue to learn how to guide students into deep learning of texts using a variety of critical and analytical reading strategies. • create a unit anchored in multiple texts and a writing assessment

4. Reading Strategies We will concentrate on the following strategies: • Rereading the Text • Pausing and Connecting Ideas Within a Text • Charting the Text • Responding to a Writing Prompt • Utilizing Sentence Starters and Templates. Focus is on the “During” and “After” Reading strategies-but your resources will have “Before” Reading Support

5. Empty the Cup Step 1: Stand and find a partner. Step 2:Introduce yourself. Step 3: One person shares whatever is on his/her mind for 30 seconds while the other person listens. Step 4: The listener summarizes what he/she has just heard. Begin with, “I heard you say…” and end with, “Did I get that right?” Step 5: Reverse rolls and repeat steps three and four.

6. Why Are We Here? The majority of secondary students do not perform well in rigorous learning environments, and high school graduates are not ready for college reading and writing tasks.

7. Here Is What We Know • The majority of students who enter college are reading below grade level. • Students enter into high school needing remediation in reading and writing. • Students continue to move through secondary education deficient in reading and writing. • Research tells us that students are college-prepared but not college-ready.

8. College Prepared vs. College Ready College Preparedness College preparatory courses AP courses Competitive GPA Community service Extra-curricular activities Student leadership College Readiness Strategic readers Read and write academically Employ multiple deep reading strategies Analyze prompts Read for multiple purposes

9. Bridging the Gap between Secondary and Post-Secondary Education? In come the new Common Core Standards and Assessments………. Teachers should… expose students to a wide range of expository texts. develop sophisticated reading and writing assignments.  explicitly teach deep reading strategies. model and support academic performances.  set high expectations for reading and writing tasks.  increase opportunities for students to talk about the texts they read. (Conley 2007; Center on Instruction 2007; ACT Report 2006; ICAS 2002) 

10. Look at the following assessment: What are students being asked to do in terms of reading and writing?? Reading Writing Now review the Common Core Anchor Standards, which Reading and Writing standards does this assess?

11. Text #1: Before and AfterReflection Quickwrite: Do you think you could survive a volcanic eruption if you were near one? Why or why not?

12. Responding to a Writing Task In 79 A.D. 2,000 people died from a volcanic eruption near Pompeii, Italy. Some claim that these deaths were avoidable. Imagine you are a scientist in Pompeii, Italy in 78 A.D., write a formal speech to the citizens of Pompeii convincing them to either evacuate OR stay and prepare for this event. Cite evidence/facts from the article and the book to support your plan, as well as outline the effects of volcanic eruptions.

13. Essential Question: What are the hazards of volcanic eruptions and are they avoidable?

14. Reading and Rereading Tasks Read “Pompeii” from History.com silently While rereading: Number each paragraph. Circle key words, names, places, and dates. Underline important statements about volcanic eruptions. Compare and Share Double Underline all of the Author’s Claims -a claim is an arguable statement or assertion made by an author. (p.62)

15. Going deeper! What is the author doing in paragraphs 7, 8, and 9? Starting with a verb, write a brief statement in the right margin for each paragraph that explains what the author is doing. Begin with a verb like… explaining… using… describing… illustrating… showing… arguing…

16. Pause, Connect, Quickwrite,and then Share Look at the “Did you Know?” box next to paragraph 8. What do you think is the purpose of this information and how does this connect to the surrounding text? Do you think this is an effective use or placing of this info?

17. Argument Statement Exercise Summarize the author’s claims about the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius and the people of Pompeii. Template In the text_______________, (title of text) ___________________(author’s name) __________(claims, argues, states, or some other verb) that______________ _________________________________.

18. Add Evidence Analysis In the text__________________, (title of text) ______________(author’s name)________ (claims, argues, states, or some other verb) that_________________________________. History.com (shares, illustrates, describes, or some other verb) ______________________ in order to __________________. The author’s decision to use _______________________ is / (is not) effective because ______________.

19. Before and After Reflection Quickwrite After learning about Pompeii, discuss how this text affirmed your beliefs about surviving volcanic eruptions or challenged them in some way.

20. Strategy Check At your tables, retrace the activities and exercises that we did while reading “Pompeii”. What did we do first, second, third, etc. Which CC standards did we address?

21. Common Core Shift 3: Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence from the text All parts of the instruction focused on examination of the text. We used analytical questioning that required students to use evidence from texts to present well defined claims and clear info. These “text-dependent” questions are key to facilitating deeper understanding of any kind of text. Close Reading

22. Shift 3: Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence from the text Close Reading • To meet the standards, the text-dependent questions should allow students to: • Understand the purpose of their reading • Understand the purpose of the author’s writing • See ideas in the text that are connected • Formulate their own questions and seek answers while reading • Gain new information and propel their learning

23. What other text-dependent questions could we ask students about this text?Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 • What was the role of opinion/personal thoughts in our work with this text?

24. Peer Observations- support during implementation!

25. Break Time!!!!

26. Review pg. 48 • Purposes for Rereading • Which rereading strategies have we used so far?? • Which have we not so far? • Make sure to tab this page for your own reference later.

27. Reading Task • Independently scan pgs 313-316 in the textbook. • Purposefully reread the text and “mark the text” by: • numbering the paragraphs; • Circle key terms, dates, names, places • Underline important explanations, definitions, descriptions, and examples • Box unknown/difficult words • Side comments-connections to other text (written or symbols) As you mark the text, refer back to the “Marking the Text: Non-Fiction” Quick Reference on pages 58-62 in the Critical Reading Guide for more info.

28. Pair-Share • What did you circle as key terms? • What did you underline?

29. What are some other strategies we can use to have students “Mark the Text” with less or no copies?How can we extend MTT into notes or other formats to help them review?

30. Charting the Text Read the introduction to Strategy 8, “Charting the Text” on pages 97-99. Then, scan over the “Charting the Text: Analyzing the Macro-Structure” (pgs. 102-104) and “Analyzing the Micro-Structure” (pgs. 107-108).

31. Pair-Reread-Chart With your partner, chart the first two paragraphs. Create the table on page 110 in your notebook of the Critical Reading Guide to record your charting statements. When charting the “do” of paragraphs, begin your phrases with a verb. Refer to the “Charting Verbs List” on page 112 for a list of verbs. Now that we have charted the “chunks” on pg 313, wipe your transparency and with your partner move on to “mark and chart” pg. 314 and so on.

32. Lunch Time!!!45 minutes

33. Table Talk While charting the text, what did you find challenging? Which CC standards does it address?

34. A Few Reasons for Charting Texts Challenges students to move beyond simple comprehension of ideas and into deep reading of the text Provides a way for students to explore how texts are constructed: to investigate how authors use language to interest or persuade their readers Makes available a list of useful verbs that students will need in order to summarize an author’s argument accurately

35. Summarizing Using your charting statements, craft a concise summary for each page in the text. Put them altogether with transitions to have one summary of the 4 pages. Example: Page 313

36. Rereading: Connecting Visual Information…… Pair up with someone from another table!!! • Choose one of the visuals from these pages (Fig. 16-19) and complete the pg. 52 “Connecting Visual Information….” Handout

37. How does the “Connecting Visual…” strategy deepen students understanding of the information, especially when used with the textbook?

38. In 79 A.D. 2,000 people died from a volcanic eruption near Pompeii, Italy. Some claim that these deaths were avoidable. Imagine you are a scientist in Pompeii, Italy in 78 A.D., write a formal speech to the citizens of Pompeii convincing them to either evacuate OR stay and prepare for this event. Cite evidence/facts from the article and the book to support your plan, as well as outline the effects of volcanic eruptions. Ok, back to our writing task!! How is this performance task different than the usual informative essay?

39. Synthesizing Ideas from Two (or more) Sources In academic writing, writers will use one text to extend, clarify, illustrate, or complicate the ideas found in another text. Although secondary students are taught to compare and contrast, they are not encouraged to use this schema (conceptual pattern in the mind) in college. Synthesis requires writers to accurately account for information and to show how this information works with other source material. Are students ready for this type of work?

40. Table Talk How can we support our students as they learn how to synthesize ideas from two (or more) sources?

41. What would be next??? • Outlining their plan- • Integrating Citations- • Understanding The Rubric- • Editing, revising and writing Final speech- • Don’t forget presenting speeches!

42. Writing Exercise: Introducing their plan/argument Is their a sentence starter we can give them to help them introduce their argument/plan into the speech?? Possible Starter sentences: People of Pompeii, it is important that you…… I believe it is necessary for you to…

43. 3-Part Source Integration What quotes/paraphrases are they going to use and how do you properly integrate them? (3-part source integration pg. 170-175) Turn to the “3-Part Source Integration: Templates”. As a table, pick one quote from either source that you would use if you were creating this speech. Then use one of the templates on those pages to do a 3-part integration with it.

44. The Rubric • Introduce before writing commences to really give students an opportunity to meet its expectations. • Teach the vocabulary words, give an exemplar if possible.

45. Independent Reading Task Read the introduction to Strategy 11, “Utilizing Sentence Starters and Templates” on pages 159-161. Then, scan over the “Sentence Starters” on pages 164-166. You might want to use some of these in your templates. Finally, read “Crafting Template-Writing Exercises” on pages 172 and 173.

46. Crafting a Template Prompt In 79 A.D. 2,000 people died from a volcanic eruption near Pompeii, Italy. Some claim that these deaths may have been avoided. Imagine you are a guest speaker in Pompeii, Italy in 78 A.D., write a formal speech to the citizens of Pompeii convincing them to either evacuate OR stay and prepare for this event. Cite evidence/facts from the article and the book to support your plan, as well as outline the effects of volcanic eruptions. Form groups of four and create a student template for the intro paragraph. Use the prompt to guide your templates.

47. Strategy Check At your tables, retrace the activities and exercises that we did while reading the textbook. What did we do first, second, third, etc.? How often did we engage in academic performances?

48. The SDAIE Connection • 4 critical elements: • Content –Does my lesson support the content and language objectives? Do my scaffolds meet the language proficiency needs of my ELs? • Connections-Do I provide opportunities for ELs to use process skills such as hypothesizing, categorizing, organizing, drawing conclusions, etc.? Do I prepare students for new learning by teaching key concepts , previewing critical aspects, and reviewing related past learning? • Comprehensibility-Do I use many different examples to teach new concepts? Do I make one to one correspondence between the clue and the concept being taught? • Interactions-Do I provide many opportunities for questioning and talking between students and teacher and among students? Do I provide real-life authentic opportunities for speaking, listening, reading, and writing?

49. Pause for Prereading and Vocabulary Turn to the second strategy in the Critical Reading Guide, “Prereading” on pg. 16-29 for several scaffolding activities. Now skim through all the headings on pgs. 33-39 on “Learning and Retaining Vocabulary”. Tab pgs 40 and 41 for helpful vocabulary handouts. -Keep these strategies in mind as you start to plan around your texts

50. Creating a Literacy Unit for the Teaching of Reading and Writing. • Decide on what common core reading AND writing standards you will address. • Purposefully select at least two texts, at least one supplementary and possibly a set of pages from the text book. • Create a writing prompt that students will respond to at the end of reading these texts. (How will they express their understanding in written form?) • Read the texts in ways you want your students to read it. • Develop the before, during, and after learning activities that students will do each day with the texts and to prepare for the writing prompt.