Investigation Three
Lesson Overview
Students will be placed into literature circle based on reading level. Each student will receive a copy of the selected non-fiction book. The class will complete a T-W-L, (What do I THINK I know, What do I WANT to learn, What I LEARNED) form. Pre-reading, during reading, and post reading activities will be completed by each student. A variety of reading techniques will be used, independent, guided, choral, or circle reading. This activity is differentiated through content (varied reading level), process (varied reading techniques), and product (varied product choices). It is important to teach with nonfiction texts, extracting information is a skill every student must learn. The ability to comprehend nonfiction text is critical to success in school and after. The literature circles will be one portion of my Language Arts block, this lesson will take 7 to 8 days of 25 to 30 minute sessions.
Enduring Understanding: Students need to activate prior knowledge in order to successfully comprehend nonfiction text.
Essential Question: How does what I already know connect to what I am going to read about?
Materials: Literature circle books: How does your brain work?; The Brain: Our Nervous System at Work; Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True story about Brain Science; T-W-L worksheet (Appendix B), vocabulary word list (Appendix C), student choice board (Appendix D), student reading journals,
Procedure: Day One
Create groups and distribute books. Have each group preview the books and discuss what they expect to learn for 5 minutes. After the discussion, the class will complete the T (THINK) section of the T-W-L worksheet. I will put all ideas on the classroom poster. After the whole class session, students will choose 5 ideas and write these on their individual worksheets. Next, the students will complete the W (WANT to learn) section of the worksheet individually. We will share out ideas and I will put suggestions on our classroom poster, the classroom poster will remain up throughout this lesson. Students will put the worksheets in their folders and keep them through the duration of this literature circle. This will set the purpose for reading.
Day Two
Each group will be given vocabulary lists, (Appendix C). Students will participate in a jigsaw activity, each student will choose a word from the list and look it up. All remaining words will be looked up tomorrow. The students will find the definition of their word using their nonfiction book and a definition, students may choose to look up word on computer as well. After students look up words, they will be responsible for teaching the group their word. The rest of the group will be responsible for writing down the remaining definitions. Each student will complete one activity from the choice board, (Appendix D).
Day Three
The remaining vocabulary words will be looked up following procedure from day 2. Students will complete a second self selected pre-reading activity from the choice board, (Appendix D).
Day Four to Day Six
Students will begin daily page assignments and will read those pages on the corresponding days. Furthermore students will choose between, independent, partner, choral, or circle reading for the daily assignments. After daily reading assignments, students will complete during reading activities from the choice board, (Appendix D).
Day Seven and Day Eight
Students will complete the L (LEARNED), section on the T-W-L form, (Appendix B). As a class we will discuss what they have filled in on the individual T-W-L forms and I will add this to the class poster. Students will then complete after reading activity from the choice board, (Appendix D). Students may choose to work independently or with a partner. Any student who finishes early may make another choice from anywhere on the board or may visit Miss Gormley's website and investigate the listed brain sites.
Assessment: Informal assessments: work completion, student participation
Formal assessment: work completion following guidelines on rubric that will be developed as a class to provide students ability to take ownership of progress and outcomes.
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