Due:
- Student comments on each others' Literacy Essays
Goals:
- To discuss the Literacy Essays
- To use that discussion to set up the central ideas for the
outside readings for the Summary/Response.
- To discuss critical reading and annotating.
Assignment:
- Read PHG on Reading, annotating and Summarizing: pp. 143-152;
173-177.
- Critically read, annotate and write a brief summary of Cohn
(LM pp. 206), using the process for reading we discussed
today. Write down how you think Cohn addresses the main questions
we generated in class (language and individual, community, power,
reality, and what it means to "switch" languages).
Setup Needs:
- Daily prompt on overhead or "Y" drive.
Sequence:
- Start out with the following Daily writing prompt: (5-10 min.)
Now that you've read and responded to several other Literacy Essays
individually, spend some time thinking and writing about what they tell
you as a set. In general, what are the most important issues these
essays raise about language and literacy? What do they suggest as a set
about the themes we generated in the last class?
- Start a class discussion based on this prompt. You can begin
by putting the key relationships you discussed in the last class
back on the board (the five areas you started with plus any additional
areas generated by your students). Then, take some responses
from the class about the general ideas for each category that
arose from the Literacy Essays. Let this take some time, allowing
your students to freely discuss the issues they discovered. Also
make sure you students write down the list of themes you generate
(20-25 min).
- Once you've got these responses on the board, take one of
the categories and ask your students for individual examples from
the Literacy Essays they read that might serve to support the
general statement (essentially, a synthesis of authors on that
single point). Explain to your students that this is what they'll
be working toward for the next few weeks--an essay which takes
the outside authors and groups them around a central theme, giving
examples of how each author addresses the theme. But first, the
Summary/Response will allow them to find the approaches of several
authors to the class' central themes one at a time, and allow
them to build their critical reading and analytical skills in
the process. (approx, 40 minutes to here).
- Once you've this solidified the themes your students will
explore in the outside readings, the next step is to help them
to sharpen their general reading skills. so, make a transition
to this effect here and begin a discussion of critical reading.
A good way to make the transition is to give a version of the
above explanation: in order to look for these themes in the outside
readings, it's important to develop some strategies for comprehending
those readings completely.
- Start the discussion with the following writing prompt on
an overhead or "Y" drive:
What makes good reading?
Since we're going to start reading some outside articles--and we're
going to read several more--it'll be useful to think about how to make
your reading most effective. Write for a few minutes on the following
questions, and we'll come together and discuss them.
What does a good reader DO and THINK ABOUT:
Before reading
While reading
After reading
When you bring the class together, make a three column log on
the board with categories for what to do before, during, and after
reading. In each area, record students' responses on the board,
asking your students to copy the chart as you go along. Be sure
to emphasize rereading and annotation as those issues arise in
the discussion. Keep the discussion going until you have a reasonable
working process for critical reading and some tips on annotating
outlined on the board. Once you've got that outline, tell your
students to practice this process with the article they'll read
for homework. (20-30 min.)
Return to Unit One:TR