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Read away

Teacher: Phil Coogan

 Teacher background reading

• Sustained Silent Reading (Education World website)
• Making reading a cool thing

Introduction

This unit is designed to allow students within a junior secondary class to choose fiction or non fiction texts to complete this self-paced and self directed assignment.

Teaching and learning activities

Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:

Learning task 1

Learning task 2

Learning task 3

Learning task 4

Learning task 5

Assessment

For an alternative assessment involving an oral book review, see this Assessment Resource Banks activity (ARB username and password required to view this resource)

Resources

Electronic

• Write a Book Review

Other

• School Library
• National Library

Learning task 1: Starting out

Before issuing the assignment try some of the activities from the Logging up reading mileage unit to get your students thinking about reading and its importance.

More importantly students need to be enthused about:

• the degree of choice they have about what they read for this assignment 
• the range of books they have to choose from.

Try some of the following during an initial reading/library period:

• Share the assignment (see learning task 2) with your librarian/resource centre staff to ensure a wide range of books, suitable for the range of tastes and abilities in your class are available for the introductory period.
• As they work on the assignment students may need revision of some of the linguistic terms mentioned, including parts of speech. See this ARB resource for the revision of the latter (ARB username and password required to view this resource).

• Draw upon your own knowledge of some of the texts as well as the knowledge of colleagues (if available), students in your class and your librarian to "market" some of the available books. Depending upon you and the class, this might involve some of the following:
  • always show students the cover - put 1-2 on over-head transparency and ask student to make predictions based on their readings of the covers
  • brief plot synopsies designed to whet appetites
  • hints about the themes to be encountered in particular books
  • "warnings" about the "mature content" of some of the books
  • using overtly manipulative reverse psychology, share your personal dislike of some books
  • show the opening sequence from film versions of 1-2 of the books
  • read blurbs - if they are well written and enticing
  • prepare readings of opening extracts or particularly exciting/moving parts of a book
  • talk briefly about some aspect of an author's life if this is likely to attract some students to their book.

Above all, be as knowledgeable and passionate as you can about the books you are introducing.

Learning task 3: Pre reading

 Use your teacher's normal format for presenting an assignment. This will probably include your name, the book you have chosen and the due date for the work.

1. Photocopy and paste a copy of the cover of your book into your assignment.

2. The Cover

    Analyse the cover as a static image. Use this to help you decide how the layout, dominant image, use of symbols, use of colour, font (especially the font used for the title) and background help convey the main message or idea of the cover.

3. Read the blurb and, using the information you've gained from this, from the title and from your analysis of the cover, make a series of predictions about your text for each of the following headings:
   • the plot or story-line
   • the main character
   • the setting (the time and place where the story takes place)
   • the theme or main idea you think the author may want you to take from reading the story.
    
4. Even before you've started reading, you now know quite a bit about the book you are going to read. Write down one burning question you have about the book that you hope will be answered as you read.

Learning task 4: During reading

Writing in role

Keep a log as you read your book. The log should comprise brief entries completed after each reading session. The log should be written in role as either the main character or a minor character who is aware of most of what is happening in the book. The log should:

• very briefly summarise key events
• reflect how your character is feeling about those events and other characters
• reflect how your character is changing in response to other characters and key events.

Exploring the language of a key passage

Choose a climax, an exciting moment, a turning point in the story or a key revelation about a character. Photocopy this section of the book (which should be no longer than one page) and use the guide below to explore how the author has helped create a mood of excitement or tension or sadness or regret or revealed something significant about a character.

Before starting, look at this from a key moment from Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden as a guide to your own analysis.

Read your selected passage closely, several times, and write about how the following helped contribute to the mood or reveal something significant about a character. You need to include at least one example of each technique you mention.

 First, describe the mood created or the nature of the character revelation.

• Choice of words? Did the author use words with particular connotations or emotive words? Did s/he use active or violent verbs or well chosen adjectives and adverbs? How did these work to achieve the purpose? Was the choice of a particular types of noun (ARB username and password required to view this resource) important?
• Tense? Is the passage written in the past or present tense? Does this have any effect on you as a reader (for example, something written in the present tense can sound more immediate, perhaps tense)?
• Imagery? Has the author employed similes, metaphors or personification to achieve his/her purpose?
   Has the author included particular colours or sounds in the passage to achieve a particular effect?
• Structure? Does the incident come as a shock or surpise after what has come before?
   Does the author employ short sentences to create a sense of urgency or panic or long ones to create slower or sadder atmosphere?
   Are words or phrases or ideas repeated in the passage? Why?
• Sounds? Has the author used alliteration, onomatopoeia or assonance or other sound devices to achieve a particular effect?
• Dialogue? Is dialogue used - how does this work in the passage?
• Punctuation? Has the author used question marks, exclamation marks, inverted commas, italics, capital letters (for whole words) at any stage for a particular purpose?

Provide an overall summary of your selected passage, saying whether you found it effective or not. Did you feel the panic, excitement or sadness? Did you get a deeper or different understanding of a character? Which of the above techniques were most important in achieving these things?

Have your analysis assessed by a peer using the close reading assessment schedule.

Learning task 5: After reading

Refer back to the question you asked in the pre reading learning task. Was it relevant to the story? Was it answered? What was the answer? Was this disappointing? Surprising? Satisfying? Why?

Other people your age may (or may not) be interested in reading your book. Your task is to write a review of your book for publication.

 First, familiarise yourself with what a good review should contain and read this review to get an appreciation of reviewing style.

 Then word-process your review.

 Proof-read your review, then have a peer assess and proof-read it using the transactional writing assessment schedule. Make any suggested changes and corrections, then publish.

Learning task 1

Expected time frame: 1-2 lessons

These learning activities are designed to activate the prior knowledge and lexis of students and to extend their topic-specific vocabulary. See activating prior knowledge for more information. A number of collaborative oral and reading vocabulary activities are included to give students many opportunities to use key vocabulary in different ways. Teachers should choose from this range of activities to suit different learner needs.

Finding out about learners’ prior knowledge

1. Activating prior knowledge

Brainstorming

• Put pictures of volcanoes on the board e.g. from the National Geographic Adventure Magazine: Volcanoes Photo Gallery.
• Give students one minute to write down as many words as they know about volcanoes.
• Ask students in pairs to say their words to each other. Each student writes down any new words and explains their words to their partner, if necessary.

Ensuring learners know the content and language learning outcomes

Share the learning outcomes with your students, for example:

• I can identify the parts of a volcano
• I understand and can use key vocabulary relating to volcanoes

Giving learners many opportunities to first notice then use new language

2. Pre-Teaching Key Vocabulary

• Write the key vocabulary (see above) over the board in random order - not in columns. Say the words to the students and ask them to repeat each word. Try to elicit the meanings from the students.
• Ask students draw four columns in their books. See Words and Definitions Table (Word 39KB) .
• The purpose of this activity is to give students practice with sound / letter correlation. The teacher dictates the words to the students, and the students write the words in column 1. They may copy a word straight from the board once they have identified the word.
• The students fill in the definitions for column 3 and they draw pictures or write the translation of the word in their first language in column 2. The teacher demonstrates drawing the words.
• Note that the final column can be used for self-testing by folding over column 1).
• The pictures, definitions and words are cut up for a matching exercise.
• Use the Structure of a Volcano Pair Activity (Word 50KB) as a barrier exercise. Explain to the students that the purpose of this activity is to speak together using the key vocabulary and thinking about the meaning of the key words, so they must not look at each other’s diagrams. Students work in pairs. One is given diagram A, the other diagram B. The partners then talk and ask each other questions to complete their incomplete diagrams. When the diagram has been fully labelled, the students should paste it into their books 

3. Reviewing key vocabulary

• Revisit key vocabulary at the beginning of each subsequent lesson. The following strategies could be used:
• Vocabulary Jeopardy: Write 7-10 of the new words on the board. Read out the definitions or draw pictures. The students write the word as they hear the definition or see the picture. Mark student answers immediately.
• Whispering game: Divide the class into teams. Give the last person in each team a word. When the teacher says "Go", the last student whispers the word to the one in front and so on until the first in line has the word and runs up to the board and writes it. The first team with the correctly spelt word on the board gets a point. At the end the students are able to see the whole list on the board again.
• See also Vocabulary Revision Activities (Word 27KB) .

Learning task 4

Expected time frame: 2-3 lessons

These learning activities are designed to further revise and embed student understanding about how a volcano works in a practical and collaborative context. An opportunity for students to evaluate and reflect upon their contribution to the group task is provided.

Planning learning tasks so that all learners are actively involved

Working in pairs or groups of 3, students make a cross-section model of a volcano. They may use electronic and print resources to guide them in this process. Explain to students that their model volcano must be cone-shaped and include at least the following: a central vent, a magma chamber, magma, lava on top.

Include opportunities for monitoring and self-evaluation

Discuss with students how they can ensure that they work effectively with their partner(s) to complete this task. The value of assigning specific group roles or tasks to ensure that all students participate should be discussed. Explicit reference to key competencies of managing self and relating to others could be woven into this discussion. A list of group guidelines or rubrics could also be co-constructed with students and used for self and peer evaluation upon completion of the task.

As an alternative to making the model, especially if class time is limited, students could find and/or adapt a cross-section accessed online. This could be incorporated into a Powerpoint for the summative assessment task below. Based on your knowledge of your students, you will need to decide whether labels can be included in the cross-section used in the summative assessment task.

Writing for publication

Teacher: Phil Coogan

Adapted from English Online Unit

Adaptions for ESOL Students: Jenni Bedford, Margaret Kitchen and Breda Matthews

Guidelines for use

Students will develop a piece of writing describing their memory of a journey they have taken.

Conditions
This activity should be worked on in the classroom under teacher supervision to ensure authenticity. Teachers may guide students actively through the initial exercise helping them to identify techniques mentioned. Teachers may show how the techniques used in the exemplars can be applied to students' own writing.

Between drafts, teachers can advise students that their writing may need further work on ideas, language, structure or accuracy in spelling, punctuation or paragraphing but not correct errors. Students should have access to dictionaries to check their writing. Word processing is acceptable providing it is done under teacher supervision.

Resource requirements

Resources provided linked to the unit plan: thematic unit, planning chart (Word 43KB) , content card (Word 43KB) , Stylistic Suggestions (Word 31KB) , Structure (Word 34KB) , Characterisation (Word 47KB) , exemplars of student work ( Writing for Publication Exemplar A not achieved (RTF 12KB) , Writing for Publication B (RTF 19KB) , Writing for Publication C (RTF 15KB) , Writing for Publication Exemplar D (RTF 11KB) ), Assessment schedule (Word 50KB) (as indicated in the unit plan)

Teacher background reading

• English Exemplars: Personal Writing
• rationale (RTF 18KB)

Teaching and learning activities

Student Instructions

In this activity, you will develop a piece of writing of at least 300 words where you describe your memories of a journey you have taken. Your writing will build a picture of your experience for the reader suitable for publication in a class magazine.

 Before you begin writing, you will look at exemplars of student writing and focus on techniques you could use to develop your own writing effectively.

 You will be assessed on

• how well you express and develop your ideas
• your ability to use a writing style that is appropriate to the task
• how well you organise your material
• your accuracy in spelling, punctuation and paragraphing.

Select and adapt these learning activities to best meet the needs of your students, and to fit the time available:

Preparing for learning

Scaffolding learning

Effective feedback

Learning task 1: Reading about journeys

Learning task 2: Developing ideas

Learning task 3: Reading about one student's journey

Learning task 4: Drafting a piece about your journey

Assessment

See the assessment schedule which is also linked to the exemplars.

English Exemplar Project: Personal Experience Writing levels 1-5

Follow up

 This unit highlighted the need to focus on:

• sentence structure
• management of group work in future units.

Scaffolding learning

Making the text structures explicit

Text survey

Ask students to look through the short story and note the structure of the text, any differences in format, or any unusual words. Discuss why the author has used these devices. Encourage the students to make predictions about the setting, plot, characters and theme.

Read the text

Give English language learners the opportunity to re-read the text several times. They would also benefit from hearing it read aloud.

Using purposeful pair, group, and collaborative work

Students from diverse backgrounds bring a variety of experiences to the classroom that, if explored, will enrich all students' learning. In effective classrooms, teachers and students together construct a culture that values the strengths of all participants and values their interests, abilities, cultures and languages. Students and teachers shift among the roles of expert, researcher, learner, and teacher, supporting themselves and each other.

Modelling and group work are effective ways to provide feedback and reinforcement. These strategies allow students to see, hear and participate in the construction of solutions to the tasks we set students. 

Recycle the language orally

See Word clusters (Word 37KB) and Say it (Word 53KB) .

Teacher modelling and joint text construction

See Annotating exemplars (Word 52KB) and Joint construction before independent writing (Word 63KB) .

Strategies shown in the DVD

Principle 1

• Learning Grid
• Anticipatory Guide
• Think – Pair – Share

Principle 2

• Information Transfer
• Barrier Activity
• 3 Level Guide

Principle 3

• Concept Map
• Word Cluster
• Word Collocation
• Word Clines

Principle 4

• Jigsaw
• Listening Dictation
• Picture Dictation
• Dictogloss

Principle 5

• Barrier Activities
• Concept Circles
• Information Transfer
• Picture Matching

Planning for Content and Language Learning Across the Curriculum

Teaching and Learning Strategies