Expository Text

Expository Text:

Consider the Text demands

  

Six text structures: can be used to comprehend text and hold onto text (take notes)

1. Sequence
2. Cause and Effect
3. Problem-Solution
4. Question-Answer
5. Description
6. Compare/Contrast

Above the line is comprehension: how do I hold onto what I just read  (Notes)

Below the line is learning:  synthsize prior knowledge (PK) + new information, writing, discussions

Reading strategies:  Reading strategies can be remembers using "the Hand"

1. Thumb =  P for Predictions (Why this finger?  Hint:  think of hitch hikers)
2. Index finger = ? for  Questions (Hint:  think slang for "what?" in sign language)
3. Middle finger = C for Connections (Hint:  think of connecting with others (usually in traffic) with your middle finger!)
4. Ring fingers = I for Inferences (Hint:  think of mood rings are created by what is in your head/heart and/or you shouldn't get married if you don't know what's in someone's head/heart!)
5. Pinky: ! for Important (Hint: pinky is "i" in sign language)

Sharing: 

Joe- how much to we imprint that we shouldn’t.

Janet-Where did we lose readers and now have to come up with this expository text breakdown?

Terry- Expository text structure will help with expository writing.

Michele- Visual part of notetaking gives an insight into how the person comprehends.

Differentiating Reading Instruction:

• All reading has layers from the basic to the more complex. 
• Prior knowledge is the key to differentiation of the text.
• Reading out loud lowers the reading comprehension of the reader.  All students should read silently – then turn and talk
• Note taking – chunk the information – have students discuss what needs to be in the notes. What is the structure of the text?  Take notes accordingly.  

Six posters are available by clicking here for documents found on the webquest.  Click on Expository Text Structures Posters.

READING -

Expository Text

Do you have students who struggle with the reading and writing needed to develop concepts and content knowledge in your discipline? If so, this section of Literacy Matters offers you "the best of the best on the Web"—web sites containing background information, research-based instructional strategies, lesson plans, sample activities, guidelines, book lists, and resources to strengthen your students' literacy skills, and thus, strengthen their content learning.

Information:

• Literacy Matters - research about text structures, lesson plans, examples, student activities, and more...
• This is a great article with research and how to model text structures. Note: it only identifies 4 text structures.
• Interesting article - constructivist approach
• Many cool note taking structures and ideas. Not overly connected to the text structures but interesting ideas for final notes/projects? (Last one - web page - is fun.)
• Reading, Writing, Thinking - amazing GO's for immediate use (QAR)

Lessons:

• Check out an Article and Examples from Lewis and Clark... Lesson plans from Mt. EverestQuest that use journal entries (real?) and focus on expository text structures.
• Expository Text Structures and their Signal Words (6th grade also includes Question/Answer), Stanford site with information, text structures and examples,

Assessment:

• Retelling Rubric (from Middleweb) that could be used to assess notes taken while paying attention to Text Structures.

Disciplinary Literacy / Disciplinary Teaching

Disciplinary Literacy/Teaching:  means that different disciplines have unique, specific ways of reading, writing, and thinking.  C:  Discipline Specific Habits of Mind from 5Ds.

• Disciplinary Reading AND CCSS expectations - validation of studio work!!
• PowerPoint with some interesting slides.
• Why reading in the content areas?  Edutopia tried to explain....

History:

• Textual detectives, go to the archives and piece together messiness of the past.
• Source all reading - all reading is actually a human being to engage with...  What is this document about?  What do we know about this person/position?  
• What content knowledge do I need to interpret this document?  (Textbook, internet to better understand this person/position.)
• Contextualize - what else was going on during this time period?  How does this impact what is being written in this piece of writing?  Documents don't just appear.  Why did it appear?
• What content knowledge do I need to interpret this document?  (Textbook, internet to explore this place or time period.)
• Corroboration of all sources - cross checking, How can both be true?  What about the conflict creates more truth?
• Reading like Historians - Stanford History Education (shed.standford.ed)
• question PK - lower prior knowledge or content knowledge means less ability to engage in the exercise, thinking.
• build PK through textbooks, internet, video clips (PBS, Discovery, BrainPop!)
• Carefully select documents - reading level, text demand (are their adaptations to be made?)
• Room for Debate from the NY Times

for more about Dr Wineberg and Stanford History Project, go to www.CenterForLearning.org  

Expository Reading

Expository Text:

READING STRATEGIES:

• Best reading site I've seen in a long time!
• Into the Book - reading site with strategy videos and lessons.  (Elementary)
• Critical Reading site that discusses Critical Reading and Critical Thinking. Very clear.
• We have developed a template to guide students as they practice questioning, visualizing, and connecting (QVC) while reading. We remind our students to “tune in to the QVC channel because comprehension is the students remember to stop and “think” about their reading.
  
  

READING PROCESS:

1. Reading Process - A very comprehensive site (with videos) describing the process and strategies.
2. Reading Process - A site with many aspects that affect a reader's success. 
3. A slide show about the Reading Process
4. Another site....   
5. Wikipedia on Reading Process (I know...but it's good!)

WHAT TO DO WHEN READING DIFFICULT TEXT:

1. If text is difficult, students must read with pencil in hand with the intent of taking notes to hold onto and synthesize new information.
2. Activate Prior Knowledge - by assessing your PK, you can plan your reading strategies.
3. Preview the text to create a reading plan.
4. PK + NK = BK:  Look for NK (New Knowledge) that changes your PK ("I was wrong!"), confirms your PK, and/or enhances your PK.  (Think about NK+, NK-, and NK(check))  This will help students recognize what they know, what they now know, and what is new.  They need to focus on connecting what htey know to what is new information.  This is synthesis!
5. Use Text Structures:  When reading, recognizing how the text is structured can help bring about meaning.  Students can then begin to use graphic organizers to create meaning from the text.
6. Summarize:  Chunk the text into smaller parts.  Summarize each small part.  If you cannot summarize, try a new strategy to help build comprehension.  Summarize vs Synthesis - what's the difference?
   

READING -

Expository Text

Do you have students who struggle with the reading and writing needed to develop concepts and content knowledge in your discipline? If so, this section of Literacy Matters offers you "the best of the best on the Web"—web sites containing background information, research-based instructional strategies, lesson plans, sample activities, guidelines, book lists, and resources to strengthen your students' literacy skills, and thus, strengthen their content learning.

Information:

• Literacy Matters - research about text structures, lesson plans, examples, student activities, and more...
• This is a great article with research and how to model text structures. Note: it only identifies 4 text structures.
• Interesting article - constructivist approach
• Many cool note taking structures and ideas. Not overly connected to the text structures but interesting ideas for final notes/projects? (Last one - web page - is fun.)
• Reading, Writing, Thinking - amazing GO's for immediate use (QAR)
• Many Graphic Organizers / Thought Templates

Lessons:

• Check out an Article and Examples from Lewis and Clark... Lesson plans from Mt. EverestQuest that use journal entries (real?) and focus on expository text structures.
• Expository Text Structures and their Signal Words (6th grade also includes Question/Answer), Stanford site with information, text structures and examples,

Assessment:

• Retelling Rubric (from Middleweb) that could be used to assess notes taken while paying attention to Text Structures.

CONTENT:

1. Poetry: Lessons based on type of poetry or author, Sport Poetry and Sound poems,
2. Fairytale stories: read Bound, Link with ideas
3. Teach Theme: Give them a quote and write a story around it
   

Historical Fiction:

1. Ideas for historical fiction, rubric, other...:
2. Biographies about 1,000,000 people?
3. possible Rubric to use
4. Definition of Historical fiction + Rubrics from Read, Write, Think
5. Unit with Lit Circles and writing
6. Not sure about this - might be good??

Expository Text Notes

CEL presentation –Professional Development - 11/1/10

Established norms – see agenda

Michelle reviewed SHS norms and add discussed points from CEL as to why two new norms are important:

1) De-privatization of practice is so important and

2) All voices are heard.

Learning Objective/Target

Reading-writing-speaking-listening

Success Criteria

Skills, strategies to teach, reteach, review

Expository Text:

Consider the Text demands

  

Six text structures: can be used to comprehend text and hold onto text (take notes)

1. Sequence
2. Cause and Effect
3. Problem-Solution
4. Question-Answer
5. Description
6. Compare/Contrast

Above the line is comprehension and how do I hold onto what I just read  (Notes)

Below the line is learning:  synthsize prior knowledge (PK) + new information, writing, discussions

Reading strategies:  Reading strategies can be remembers using "the Hand"

1. Thumb =  P for Predictions (Why this finger?  Hint:  think of hitch hikers)
2. Index finger = ? for  Questions (Hint:  think slang for "what?" in sign language)
3. Middle finger = C for Connections (Hint:  think of connecting with others (usually in traffic) with your middle finger!)
4. Ring fingers = I for Inferences (Hint:  think of mood rings are created by what is in your head/heart and/or you shouldn't get married if you don't know what's in someone's head/heart!)
5. Pinky: ! for Important (Hint: pinky is "i" in sign language)

Sharing: 

Joe- how much to we imprint that we shouldn’t.

Janet-Where did we lose readers and now have to come up with this expository text breakdown?

Terry- Expository text structure will help with expository writing.

Michele- Visual part of notetaking gives an insight into how the person comprehends.

Differentiating Reading Instruction:

• All reading has layers from the basic to the more complex. 
• Prior knowledge is the key to differentiation of the text.
• Reading out loud lowers the reading comprehension of the reader.  All students should read silently – then turn and talk
• Note taking – chunk the information – have students discuss what needs to be in the notes. What is the structure of the text?  Take notes accordingly.  
•  

Six posters are available by clicking here for documents found on the webquest.  Click on Expository Text Structures Posters.

READING -

Expository Text

Do you have students who struggle with the reading and writing needed to develop concepts and content knowledge in your discipline? If so, this section of Literacy Matters offers you "the best of the best on the Web"—web sites containing background information, research-based instructional strategies, lesson plans, sample activities, guidelines, book lists, and resources to strengthen your students' literacy skills, and thus, strengthen their content learning.

Information:

• Literacy Matters - research about text structures, lesson plans, examples, student activities, and more...
• This is a great article with research and how to model text structures. Note: it only identifies 4 text structures.
• Interesting article - constructivist approach
• Many cool note taking structures and ideas. Not overly connected to the text structures but interesting ideas for final notes/projects? (Last one - web page - is fun.)
• Reading, Writing, Thinking - amazing GO's for immediate use (QAR)

Lessons:

• Check out an Article and Examples from Lewis and Clark... Lesson plans from Mt. EverestQuest that use journal entries (real?) and focus on expository text structures.
• Expository Text Structures and their Signal Words (6th grade also includes Question/Answer), Stanford site with information, text structures and examples,

Assessment:

• Retelling Rubric (from Middleweb) that could be used to assess notes taken while paying attention to Text Structures.

Determining What's Important vs Interesting Information

We came up with a list of clues to use when determining if something is important or interesting (this would be a great chart to have in the room or to pull out while reading):

Important:

• Title/subtitles
• definitions
• facts (applies to all...)
• Answers the big questions...or questions asked
• highlighted words
• bolded words/sentences
• underlined sentences/words
• Boxed words (usually in a diagram)
• A key is in front of it....symbolizes the big idea.
• Information reviewed in these sections: "Apply Your Knowledge" or "Assessing Your Understanding" or "Got It"
• Some figures, graphs, charts, tables, pictures representing the text, captions with these text features.

Interesting parts  (These parts help us learn, but won't be on the test!):

• Connections
• Examples
• "One such..."
• "Certain types..."
• "In a few..."
• "Some..."
• "My Planet Diary"
• Stories
• Sentence starters
• Fun facts
• Extra information: facts, stories, analogies
• Some graphics, page layout and background
• 
  

We noticed that definitions (important) are often followed by examples (interesting "some").

Making the link between PK and what is thought of as Important in text:

If you have little PK:

• Reread often
• Read slowly, stop and think often
• Ask a lot of questions:  placed that you don't understand might be marked.
• Make connections to what you do know.
• Read the entire passage for the gist and then reread to determine what is important.
• More "surface facts" will be underlined/highlighted.  Deeper concepts might not be understood yet.

If you have some PK:

• Ask questions while you read.
• Pay attention to what you know, what feels familiar and what is new information.  What feels familiar and new information should be underlined/highlighted.
• Find information that furthers, deepens what you already know.

I you have a lot of PK:

• Pay attention to what you know, what feels familiar and what is new information.  What feels familiar and new information should be underlined/highlighted.
• Create a KWL for the reading.  Try to find answers to the question you would like to learn more about.
• Explore the topic further after reading.  (Use the internet to look up more about new information that is found.)
• Look for ways to remember what you already know or have learned.
• Go for depth of understanding.  Challenge yourself to understand the topic more fully.
• Think about how the passage is written or author's bias for a greater challenge.

Science Reading - Learning Target & Success Criteria

Doing the Reading - SHS, the cell:

 Learning Target:

1.  Learn the part of the cell well enough to create labeled drawings and share with your group.

2.  Use descriptive text structure (when facts are presented in a way where order doesn't matter) to create your labeled drawings.  

Success Criteria:
A.  Recognize the factory metaphor.  Share with a partner if it helped comprehension and why?    (We noticed that this book used the metaphor throughout the chapter.  We wanted to connect to LA class.  We also wanted students to be aware if this was helpful or not.)

B.  Mark with sticky notes a place where a word is defined or described in the same sentence and a place where the word is defined or described in the next sentence(s).  (We noticed that the books does uses both strategies.  We talked about how kids get hung up on not understanding a word and often don't trust that a textbook will define or describe the word.  We wanted them to pay attention to when the book did this.  This will help them to trust textbooks more. We talked about Jenn's reminders to consider how different readers handle confusion.)

C.  Recognize that subtitles are similar to an outline.  The green titles would be the Roman numerals.  The blue titles would be the letters, and the bulleted (triangle bullets) titles would be the number.  Create an outline of your section.  (We realized that the text was organized in a way that was similar to outline notes, which Brian sometimes uses.  We wanted to make sure that kids did not miss this fact.  This will also help students to review what they learned simply by considering the titles.)

D.   Complete an exit ticket that lists a piece of information that you already know, a piece of information that felt familiar, and a piece of information that is new.  (The exit ticket asks students to assess their PK and synthesize new information - to be aware of what they learned.)

Doing the Reading - 7th Grade, ecosystems:

Learning Target = the keys. 
(We thought about maybe adding speaking to it, so it might sound like:  Students will be able to explain the key ideas to their table group.)

Success Criteria:
A.  While reading, underline what text is important and bracket what text is interesting.  (We noticed that this book uses stories and connections frequently.  While these help with comprehension, they are not going to show up on the test!  Good readers can determine what is important and what is interesting.)

B.  While reading, determine if the figure referenced is interesting or important.  Share with your partner and come to an agreement.  (We noticed that some figures are closely related to the text, but other figures were not.  They were actually almost distracting. Students should be able to tell which to pay closer attention to.)

C.  Complete the "assess your understanding" and "apply it" questions.  Check your answers with your partner.

D.  Explain to a partner how the Cause and Effect text structure helped you make sense of the "Decomposers" and "Energy Pyramids" sections.  (We realized that those were the two most difficult sections to comprehend (for me!), and both were written using the cause-effect text structure.  They were both also directly related to the key ideas.)

E.  Complete your exit ticket.  (The exit ticket will ask them to fill in the blanks for the cause-effect chain for the two sections mentioned in D.)

States of Matter - 8th grade - 3 day reading tasks:

Day #1: Introduction to Chapter 2:  All students (PEAK?) complete the same pages.

Learning Target:  

• Students will be able to describe a solid.
• Students will be able to describe a liquid.
• Students will be able to describe a gas.
• Students will be able to compare and contrast all states of matter.
• Students will work with a group to share and process information.

Success Criteria:

A.  After reviewing Text Features page, students will list 3+ text features used in theInteractive Science textbook.  (Note:  the first page of the link is good.  With a bit of review, most students should know this.  They may not be familiar with the terminology - "text features".)

B.  Read the scenario on page 36 silently and independently.  With your partner/group/class,discuss and write an answer the question using PQPA and at least 1 fact from the text.Revise your answer after viewing the "Untamed Science" video.  (Purpose:  Review of PQPA, review of the expectation to use evidence from the text in answers, and reinforce the idea that we synthesize what we know and what we have just learned to revise our answers.)

B.  Read page 38-39,and  answer the questions.  Check your answers with your partner.Clarify answers that you do not agree on.

C.  Read "My Planet Diary" silently and independently.  Answer the questions.  Label each question based on QAR:  Right There, Think and Search, Author and Me, or On My Own. (This should be a review for students.  Great way to review QAR! :)  Note: both questions are "right there" (last two sentences of each paragraph).)

Exit ticket:  What are 3+ text features that your science textbook uses to help you?

Day #2:  Expert Groups:  

Student are numbered 1-4 and sent to work with different "Expert Groups"  

1 - solid

2 - gas

3 - liquid

4 - PEAK...

Learning Target:

• Students will be able to describe a solid.
• Students will be able to describe a liquid.
• Students will be able to describe a gas.
• Students will be able to compare and contrast all states of matter.
• Students will work with a group to share and process information.

Success Criteria:

A.  Preview the questions your group is expected to answer.  Tell a partner what information you are trying to find.  (Questions are from Amy.  The second task asks students to put the questions in their own words.  It asks them to really be familiar with the question before reading.)

B.  While reading silently and independently, underline what is important.  Be ready to explainto your group how you determined what was important versus what is interesting.  Be ready to explain which text features helped determine importance and which did not.  (You might want to consider pre-teaching this?  Check out blog post - this might be a great anchor chart to use!)

C. Using the Go Around strategy, your group should complete the "Assess your Understanding" questions at the end of your section.  (If you need, I can explain Go Around to you OR you can use a strategy that insures total group participation.)

D.  Using the Go Around strategy, you could should complete your group questions. 

E.  Good readers know when information presented in text matches their prior knowledge, feels familiar, or is new learning.  Label each question with a P, F, or N.  

• P = I already know this; it was a part of my Prior knowledge.  
• F = this information was familiar; I couldn't have answered it before reading, but I know I learned it before.  
• N = This is new information.

D.  As a group, create a demonstration for your state of matter.  You must all work together, be out of your seats, and be able to explain why this effectively demonstrates your state of matter.  Be sure you understand this demonstration, you will be responsible for teaching it to your original group.

Exit Ticket: List a piece of information that matched your PK, felt familiar, and was new. AND/OR using the target, rate your ability to do B and D.

Day 3: Back in original groups, sharing your expertise!

Learning Target:

• Students will be able to describe a solid.
• Students will be able to describe a liquid.
• Students will be able to describe a gas.
• Students will be able to compare and contrast all states of matter.
• Students will work with a group to share and process information.

Success Criteria:

A.  Listen to each group member's presentation.  Record the notes accordingly.  Check for understanding by asking questions, clarifying information presented, and making connection.

B.  Complete the Compare/Contrast chart.  Tell a partner one way the states of matter are the same and one way they are different.  (This needs work...)

C.  Practice the demonstrations.  With a partner, quiz on another to make sure you understand them fully.

Exit Action: As they leave, ask them, "Show me the demonstration for ..... "

Expository Reading Vertical Meeting 10/10

Expository/Content Vertical Meeting: 10/11/10

Reading Strategies:

1. Prior Knowledge:  This is the most important reading strategy to use for formative assessment data at the beginning of a reading experience.
1. Rate PK - When thinking about transactional reading or interactive reading, this is very important.  Readers need to consider what they already know about a topic. Their prior knolwedge dictates their reading plan.  If a student has no prior knowledge/experience with a topic, s/he is "reading to learn".  This is more difficult reading and requires more strategy use.  Also, the text structures are important.  When text is difficult, figuring out how it is structured can help a reader determine what is important.  For example, if dates are given, the reader can predict that the text structure is sequence and begin making sense of the text by creating a time line.  If a student has a lot of PK, s/he is reading to confirm, build upon, or reject what is already known.  It is important to have this focus or they will just skim the text (or pretend to read) and rely on their prior knowledge, which may be faulty or incomplete.  (See synthesizing below.)
2. Preview the text features (titles, pictures, captions, graphs, subtitles, bold words, etc) to make predictions about what is in the text.  This also helps to activate prior knowledge.
2. Make Predictions (hypothesize)
3. Ask Questions - there are many levels of questioning based on PK and reading level. 
1. Vocab -EX:  what does this word mean?
2. Informational questions -the answers to these questions can be looked up in a reference book/site.  EX:  Where is Utah? What is a volcano?
3. Curiosity questions  - cannot be found in a reference book/site.  EX:  Why would it work this way?
4. Challenge questions - challenges the author, science...focus on deep thinking.  EX:  Did he use all of his data?  What about the other points of view?
4. Make Connections - connections to self, other text, other media, world knowledge...connections create more meaning and are NOT distracting from the text.
5. Make INferences - getting IN the authors head, heart....searching for bias, propaganda, etc.
6. Determining Importance - determining what is important (worth talking about, learning) vs what is interesting (or potentially distracting).  Both can be important to talk about.
7. Synthesize - how does this new information fit with what you already know?  Does your PK have to change?  Does it fit together and confirm or build upon each other?  OR is there a disconnect?  Is there something suspect about this new information?  (This is an especially good question when evaluating websites.)
8. NOTE:  Numbers 2-6 are represented by "The Hand"

Text Structures:  These are most helpful if the information is NEW of difficult.  Text structures help students make sense of the organization of the text, which then allows them to make sense of the content in the text.  There are 5 text structures (in our model):

1. Description/TLH: "Through Their Eyes":  the information is not given in a certain order.   It still presents facts; this does not mean it is figurative language.  EX:  Describe the beaker - order does not matter.  Describe the Plains Indians.
2. Sequence/TLH: "Turning Points":  Order does matter OR information is given in an order to help us remember it.  The conversion ladder is given in an order to help us remember AND it goes from big to small.  Sequence can be chronological (dates), steps, phases, etc...
3. Cause and Effect/TLH: "Cause and Effect" "Using the Past":  Presented in order - this caused this caused this caused this... OR one cause with many effects OR many causes with one effect.  NOTE:  6th grade uses the double arrow to indicate a cause and effect structure.  Note:  Often the cause and/or effect is presented in a different text structure.
4. Problem/Solution / TLH: "Change and Continuity":  like cause and effect, but the text says PROBLEM and SOLUTION!  The text uses those words as "cue" words.  EX: The problem Custer faces was... he solved it by...  Note:  Often the problem and/or solution is presented using a different text structure.
5. Question/Answer:  The text asks a questions and then gives one or more answers to that question.  The history book uses this structure a lot.  The answer is written in another text structure.  EX:  How do you complete this lab?  These are the steps.  First,.... OR EX:  Why did Custer attack?  Answer is given in a cause and effect chain.

Possible Expository Learning Target / Success Criteria Chart:

Learning Target:  Read the text and _____.  (Discuss the parts worth talking about.  Discuss the parts that fit with your prior knowledge or don't fit with you prior knowledge.  OR Make connection to the video/lab/Brainpop! we did yesterday.)

Success Criteria:

A.  Write a quick journal entry about your Prior Knowledge or Experience with this topic.
B.  Based on your PK, Create a reading plan and find a partner with a similar plan.  (or choose a partner with a different plan if you want to encourage sharing of PK.)
C.  Read silently (the best way to comprehend text) and underline/highlight/use sticky notes on the parts of the text worth talking about.  These parts are either very important or bring up questions.
D.  Code the text (either by underlining or highlighting or using sticky notes) to show which reading strategies you used (P, ?, C, I, !) and what text structures (S, D, C/E, P/S, ?/A) are used to present the information in the text.  Share with a partner.
E.  Discuss the author's bias with your group. Circle all "loaded" words, or words that show the author's point of view.  Share your opinion with your group.  Write a group opinion.
F.  Self-assess.  Write an exit ticket:  Did you understand this reading?  (rate 1-5) What did you do to help yourself comprehend the text?  What got in the way?
AND/OR
G.  Write (or Revise) your working definition/theory of ______.  (If revising, underline the part that were confirmed by this text.  Or underline the parts that were introduced by this text.)

ENDING:  Use a TARGET to self-assess your ability to do the success criteria.

Why is this good for ELL?  Reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking
Why is this good for student engagement?  Reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking (PTT) & both self and partner and group work.
 

History

Literacy in History class?

Facing History advocates using the study of the humanities to help us navigate different histories to create a moral and vically minded, engaged student. This is the foundation of democracy.

Giving the tools of language is a very empowering endeavor.

Literacy ideas from Facing History and Ourselves:

1. Create a headline - This is a quick way to get into & summarize a document; students read a passage and then create a headline for a newspaper; great way to teach HOOK, main idea and provocative titles; Always consider whose point of view the title represents!
2. Analyze media literacy - look for bias, C: #1 - is the headline accurate?
3. Glossary - when you share vocabulary words on a "think sheet," call it a glossary instead of word bank or vocab list!
4. Pull 3 - Read a passage, pull out 3 lines that made you think (ahas, what?, you want to dig into it more), discuss those lines with partner and/or group
5. Role Play - students read a passage written about a figure in history; they become that person and tell the story they just read - they must use "I" while telling the story; Make sure you have a variety of different points of view
6. Read a variety of text and identify perspectives, what is revealed, themes, what you can related to or identify with; Connections and Reflections, How can I connect this to today?; Write connections and reflections in Historian's Notebook.
7. Use stories to anchor ourselves in history: primary sources - journals, picture books, short stories, newspaper articles, biographies, historical fiction
8. Letters Home - read a law, amendment, bill, speech, etc and then write a letter home sharing what you predict will be the consequence. (Cause and Effect, Problem - Solution) Share letters to find common predictions.
9. Watch a film, stop and journal, share. Watch a film, stop and journal based on questions (habits of mind or text structures). Ex: What will be the effect of this move? What will happen next? What is the directors point of view or bias?
10. Build on an Idea - look at documents and share: what surprised you? What did you learn? What questions do you have? (Record all questions that come from documents. Determine what habits of the mind students are using or need to use.)
11. ABC - when studying a topic, fill in an ABC chart of facts or ideas learned. Ex: Civil War: A is for anti-slavery, B is for bayonet, ... S is for Sherman's March...
12. Heads Down game - all students are looking down, they cannot signal to each other in any way, the order of answers must be random: they must recite the (Civilization Flow Chart in order, battle in the Civil War in order, etc) without having two people speak at the same time! If two people speak, they must start over.
13. Written Conversations - sit in a group of 4, write for 2 minutes, trade papers, read first entry and write for 2 minutes, trade papers, read first two entries and write for 2 minutes...
14. Create Identity Charts - compare self to leaders and characters
15. Write about what you remember about _____ C: to topic or theme of topic Ex: write about someone who moved away. (C: Pilgrims leaving England).
16. Analyze a picture. Whom would you want to ask a question? What would you ask? P his/her answer.

Writing Ideas from Kyle Heilman:

Writing Ideas:

• How would the world be different if....
• Ask students, "How did this get broken? bent? destroyed?"
• Now that you know the real story, write you own.
• Tell me about when the button was shiney, lost, broken, or its best/worst day....
• Tell me about the day....why .... emotions.....why......
• Camera: what are 12 shots you would take from this day? from this pov? from this window or position? If you had one pictures from American History, which one would you choose? why?
  
• Artifacts can be Story starters AND Memory triggers
• Make your own Textbook: write articles, summaries of what was learned, timelines, pictures, and 10 facts learned about each topic. (oral exam each Friday)
• Research the history of dog tags (new tatooing information)
• Interview people continually - use flip phones to interview; review the big nos (uncomfortable topics for the time period: Did you kill anyone?) Remember, "What is seen connot be unseen."
• Write a caption for your artifact
• Tell me where this came from? (small nail?)
• What if one more/less person had....? (Good for tight elections!)