All You Need To Teach Comprehension 10+
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AGES<br />
<strong>10+</strong><br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong><br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong><br />
Reading with understanding<br />
Angela Ehmer
<strong>Comprehension</strong><br />
Ages 10<br />
Reading with understanding<br />
Angela Ehmer
This edition published in 2021 by<br />
Matilda Education Australia, an imprint<br />
of Meanwhile Education Pty Ltd<br />
Level 1/274 Brunswick St<br />
Fitzroy, Victoria Australia 3065<br />
T: 1300 277 235<br />
E: customersupport@matildaed.com.au<br />
www.matildaeducation.com.au<br />
First edition published in 2009 by Macmillan Science and Education Australia Pty Ltd<br />
Copyright © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia 2009<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong><br />
ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
Publisher: Sharon Dalgleish<br />
Managing editor: Polly Hennessy<br />
Project editor: Claire Linsdell<br />
Editor: Nina Paine<br />
Proofreader: Adriana Martinelli-Sciacca<br />
Design: Bob Seal<br />
Illustrations: Bob Seal<br />
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Contents<br />
<strong>All</strong> the <strong>Teach</strong>ing Tips <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
Exploring <strong>Comprehension</strong> 5<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Strategies 6<br />
Predict 6<br />
Connect 7<br />
Infer 7<br />
Question 8<br />
Visualise 8<br />
Determine Main Idea 9<br />
Synthesise 9<br />
Self-monitor 10<br />
Literature Circles and Book Clubs 10<br />
<strong>All</strong> the Rubrics and Resources <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
Assessment Rubrics 14<br />
Mini-Posters 22<br />
Book Club Roles 30<br />
<strong>All</strong> the Lesson Banks and Text Models <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
Preparing for Cyclones and Wild Storms 36<br />
Virtual Cafe 38<br />
Fright 40<br />
Almost Swallowed by a Shark 42<br />
The Missing Ticket 44<br />
Landmines 46<br />
Gruesome Rhymes: Jack and Jill 48<br />
The Greatest Eruption of <strong>All</strong> Time 50<br />
<strong>All</strong> the Worksheets and Task Cards <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
Worksheets 53<br />
Task Cards 73
<strong>All</strong> the<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>ing<br />
Tips<br />
<strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
4
Exploring <strong>Comprehension</strong><br />
C o m p r e h e n si o n is proble m solv i n g<br />
Many students can read words, but they struggle to comprehend. They may be skilled at decoding<br />
words, but lack strategies and thinking processes which enable them to understand texts. Ensuring<br />
that all students understand what they read and view is critical to their ongoing success at school<br />
and beyond.<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>ing for comprehension occurs every time we read or view a text. <strong>To</strong> comprehend, we take to<br />
the text our beliefs, perceptions, experiences and ability to problem solve. Without these, the text’s<br />
meaning or message may be lost. <strong>To</strong> comprehend, we must make links to and from the text to our<br />
experiences and ask ourselves questions about what we are reading or viewing. Comprehending is<br />
an ongoing process of assimilating new information into our existing understandings.<br />
I use the term ‘teaching for comprehension’ rather than ‘teaching comprehension’, because<br />
comprehension is a cognitive process involving the personal thoughts, ideas and experiences<br />
of a reader, and a repertoire of strategies or problem solving options which help him or her to<br />
understand and move beyond the author’s message. It is not a series of isolated skills to be learned<br />
and mastered. With every text read or viewed, a reader adds to his or her personal thoughts, ideas<br />
and experiences. Texts therefore contribute to shaping the people we become, and continuing to<br />
extend knowledge is an essential part of the comprehension process.<br />
As our experiences change, our understandings also change. For example, I first read <strong>To</strong> Kill a<br />
Mockingbird at high school, and at the time it helped me decontextualise the world; it introduced<br />
things beyond my own experience and helped shape my perceptions of the world. Thirty years later<br />
I read it again. This time I had my experiences and memories that continue to shape and reshape my<br />
understandings of life. I pondered Harper Lee’s powerful words and knew that the meaning of these<br />
words and this text would stay with me always. I imagined what it would have been like to bear<br />
witness to these events, placing myself as best I could in all the characters’ shoes. I wondered about<br />
their lives, their feelings and how I would feel and act in their situations. As I did this, I was better<br />
able to interpret their actions and views. Adjusting my thinking throughout this text was vital to my<br />
comprehension.<br />
With this in mind, we must consider the diversity of learners within classrooms. Some students bring<br />
to a text a rich array of experiences, language, books and general knowledge. They have many<br />
experiences upon which to draw and many sources to connect to and from the text. Others do not<br />
have the same bank of experiences to anchor their knowledge. We must provide the anchors all<br />
students need for problem solving to occur.<br />
T each i n g for co m p r e h e n si o n<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> is a complex process for teachers of reading. We can all read a text and take away<br />
a literal interpretation of the author’s message, but deeper comprehension occurs when the reader<br />
moves beyond this level of understanding to assimilate the text into his or her own thinking. Only<br />
then can higher levels of comprehension occur, and texts become more memorable and more<br />
meaningful to the reader.<br />
We must teach students to think about their thinking; to strategise the best way to understand<br />
what is read and viewed. Students must learn to activate prior knowledge before reading, as<br />
recalling what you already know provides an anchor for new information. On imaginary texts,<br />
recalling similar themes, plots, text types and characters provides something familiar to anchor<br />
new experiences. On non-literary texts, recalling information about the topic, text type and theme<br />
provides an anchor for new information. Re-reading is also an important part of comprehending<br />
texts and building fluency and success.<br />
We must teach for a range of problem solving strategies, using them flexibly and together on all<br />
texts for deep and successful comprehension. <strong>Comprehension</strong> strategies should never be used in<br />
isolation, as no one strategy on its own will enable a reader to fully understand a text.<br />
5
P r e d i ct<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Strategies<br />
The comprehension strategies or ways to think about texts are to:<br />
@ Predict<br />
@ Connect<br />
@ Infer<br />
@ Question<br />
@ Visualise<br />
@ Determine main idea<br />
The tricky part can be strategising which way of thinking about the text<br />
will best promote comprehension. The problem solving process requires<br />
readers to ask themselves questions like:<br />
How could I think about this to understand it better?<br />
How can I look at this another way to understand it better?<br />
How do I need to change my thinking to understand it better?<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
@ Self-monitor<br />
Because comprehending is an active process, it occurs before, during and after reading. Students<br />
must understand that comprehending begins before the actual reading of words and continues<br />
after reading as they continue to think about the message of the text. During reading the mind<br />
is actively predicting and modifying, visualising, making connections, asking questions, making<br />
inferences, locating important ideas or information, synthesising what is read with prior knowledge<br />
and checking when understanding is lost or unclear.<br />
The summary tables below can be used as a guide to the strategies. Use the prompts and<br />
terminology listed here so you and your students have a common language to think and talk about<br />
reading. The mini-posters (BLMs 9 to 16) could be used as lesson starters or as further prompts or<br />
reminders to students if displayed around the classroom.<br />
There is also an assessment rubic for each strategy (BLMs 1 to 8). Each one has space to add criteria<br />
of your own. Because the rubic is structured as a continuum, you can see where your students are<br />
headed and select goals or learning experiences for that list of criteria.<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers make predictions before, during and after reading, based on<br />
what they know and what they have read.<br />
@ Proficient readers confirm and reject predictions as they read, and modify their<br />
predictions based on new information from the text.<br />
What do you think this will be about?<br />
What do you expect this section of the book will be about?<br />
What do you expect to learn from this?<br />
What does the title, heading or picture suggest this might be about?<br />
What do you think will happen next?<br />
Since . . . happened, what do you expect will happen next?<br />
What do you think is likely to happen?<br />
What is likely to happen based on what has already occurred and what you know?<br />
What do I think this is about?<br />
The cover makes me think this will be about . . .<br />
After looking through the text, I think I’ll learn about . . .<br />
After looking through the text, I think the story is about . . .<br />
6
C o n n ect<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
@ Occurs when readers make connections to and from the text to:<br />
—themselves<br />
—other texts<br />
—the world.<br />
Does this remind you of anything that has happened to you?<br />
How does your connection help you to better understand this text?<br />
Does this remind you of anything you’ve read or viewed?<br />
How does it help you to use what you know about one text to understand another?<br />
Does this remind you of anything in your community or world?<br />
How does your knowledge of the world help you to understand what you are<br />
reading or viewing?<br />
Student thinks<br />
What do I already know about this?<br />
Does this remind me of something?<br />
Has this happened to me or anyone I know?<br />
Have I read or viewed anything like this before?<br />
Do I know anyone like this character?<br />
Do I know of other things like this in the world?<br />
I n f e r<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers use what they know and have read to draw conclusions.<br />
@ Assisted inferences are those made when authors imply or leave clues for readers.<br />
@ Unassisted inferences are those made when there are no clues from the author.<br />
What does the author want you to understand?<br />
Can you take an idea from this and add to it?<br />
Can you infer more than what is written?<br />
Is the author implying something, but not stating it?<br />
What are the possible consequences of this?<br />
What could this word/phrase/sentence mean?<br />
Read that part again and think about it.<br />
How else could this be solved?<br />
<strong>To</strong> understand some ideas, you need to read between the lines. That means to read<br />
what the author has written, and then use what you know to think more about it.<br />
I can locate the clues left by the author.<br />
I think the author wants me to understand . . .<br />
I can add to this idea.<br />
I can understand more than what has been stated.<br />
I think the author is implying . . .<br />
I think the author means . . .<br />
I think the consequences of this might be . . .<br />
I think this word/phrase/sentence could mean . . . I’ll read that part again and<br />
think about it.<br />
7
Q u est i o n<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers ask themselves questions before, during and after reading,<br />
based on what they know and what they have read.<br />
@ Proficient readers question things that link to the text, but may not be answered<br />
in the text. They question their own understanding, but they also query what they<br />
are reading.<br />
What questions do you have before/during/after reading?<br />
As you read, jot down any questions you have.<br />
What else do you want to know about this?<br />
Are there things you are wondering about?<br />
Is there anything you don’t understand?<br />
Is there anything you need clarified?<br />
What questions would you like to ask the author?<br />
Why do you think . . . ?<br />
Who? What? When? Where? Why?<br />
What does the author want me to know?<br />
Why is this happening?<br />
Why did this character . . . ?<br />
What might happen if . . . ?<br />
Do I understand this?<br />
What does this saying mean?<br />
This makes me wonder about . . .<br />
V i s uali s e<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers make mental pictures or imagine what is happening in the<br />
text.<br />
Can you make a picture in your mind?<br />
What can you see in your head as you read this part?<br />
Can you imagine it as a movie in your head?<br />
Imagine what that looks like, sounds like and feels like.<br />
Can you imagine what it would be like to be in . . . (character’s) situation?<br />
Can you imagine being there?<br />
Put yourself in that situation.<br />
What do the words help you to see/hear/feel/smell/taste?<br />
How does building a picture in your mind help you to understand and remember<br />
what is happening?<br />
I can imagine it happening.<br />
I can . . .<br />
@ see that happening<br />
@ imagine that smell<br />
@ recall a taste like that<br />
@ imagine how that feels<br />
@ hear that sound<br />
@ smell it.<br />
I can imagine it playing like a movie.<br />
8
D et e r m i n e mai n idea<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers are able to identify the important ideas in the text.<br />
@ In narrative texts, readers can place important events in sequence to accurately<br />
support text meaning.<br />
@ In information texts, readers can identify the main ideas and the supporting facts.<br />
What are the important things from this text?<br />
What are the key ideas?<br />
What are the main ideas that the author wants you to remember?<br />
Can you find the supporting details for this idea?<br />
What did the author tell you about this idea?<br />
Can you put the main ideas in an order that makes sense?<br />
Can you summarise what this is about?<br />
When I retell, the sequence is important.<br />
I understand the order of events.<br />
The main ideas are in an order that helps me to understand.<br />
The most important information is . . .<br />
The key points are . . .<br />
I can find some facts about the main ideas.<br />
The things I need to learn or remember about this are . . .<br />
I can sum this up by saying . . .<br />
The blurb on the back cover could say . . .<br />
S yn t h esi s e<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers integrate what they know with new information from the text.<br />
@ Proficient readers understand that they know more after reading than they<br />
knew before. They integrate prior knowledge with support material from the text<br />
(pictures, captions, diagrams, maps, tables, glossary, etc) and the running words.<br />
What do you already know about this? What do you expect to learn from a text<br />
like this?<br />
What features does this book have to help you to understand it?<br />
What other parts of this book might help you to understand?<br />
Remember to look at the pictures and other supports before you start reading.<br />
What do you know now that you didn’t know before?<br />
As you read, remember to add new information to what you already know.<br />
How has your thinking changed since you read this?<br />
Does the new information match what you already know?<br />
I start by thinking about what I already know.<br />
I can add to what I know by looking at the pictures and reading the words.<br />
I can use what I know to help me to understand new things.<br />
As I read, I need to combine new information with what I already know.<br />
Does this information seem accurate or correct? Have I read about, seen or heard<br />
things that agree or disagree with this?<br />
When I have finished reading, I know more.<br />
After reading, I think about what I have read and what I have learned.<br />
9
S e lf-mon ito r<br />
Strategy<br />
description<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>er prompts<br />
Student thinks<br />
@ Occurs when readers check their understanding of the text as they read.<br />
@ Proficient readers use strategies to check that what they are reading makes sense.<br />
They know how to adjust their thinking in order to better understand the text.<br />
Does that make sense to you?<br />
Re-read that part and remember that . . .<br />
Read like you’re talking so that it makes more sense.<br />
Read that part again and slow it down. Think about what it means.<br />
Do you know what that phrase means? It might help to remember . . .<br />
What are your options for thinking about that?<br />
Does that word have small parts that carry meaning?<br />
How could you think about that differently?<br />
Does this make sense?<br />
This doesn’t seem right.<br />
I’ll re-read that.<br />
I’ll check for the key words.<br />
I’ll scan it to check.<br />
I should slow my reading down to pay closer attention.<br />
I’ll speed my reading up so that the text makes more sense.<br />
I’ll try saying this word different ways until it sounds right and makes sense.<br />
Do I know what this word means?<br />
I can look for parts within this word to understand what it means.<br />
How else could I think about this?<br />
Literature Circles and Book Clubs<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>ing for comprehension relies on conversation and collaboration. Group discussions facilitated<br />
during reading sessions enable teachers to support students as they try to comprehend more<br />
difficult texts. <strong>Teach</strong>ers should therefore provide students with opportunities to talk about their<br />
learning and explain their thinking, as this is an essential part of promoting comprehension.<br />
Students must be able to build on the responses of others in order to engage in discourse, share<br />
ideas, develop understandings of differing points of view and learn about the solving strategies<br />
used by others.<br />
Small group discussions around texts are an important part of instructional approaches like guided<br />
reading, literature circles and book clubs. Engaging students this way consolidates, enhances and<br />
challenges their thinking. Literature circles, or focused book clubs, are a fun and engaging way to<br />
promote comprehension.<br />
A literature circle (or book club with clear instructional goals) is an instructional approach aimed<br />
at increasing reader enjoyment, deepening comprehension and engaging students in purposeful<br />
conversations around texts. The meeting is a time to discuss the text, revisit sections of the text as<br />
required, and negotiate the reading for the next meeting.<br />
When attending a book club meeting, group members must have completed reading the section<br />
of the text agreed to, as well as a short role task to assist them with the discussion. The focus of a<br />
book club is on the discussion generated by the task, rather than the actual task itself.<br />
The tasks are intended to prompt and stimulate students to reflect on their reading, and to then use<br />
this reflection to guide the book club discussion. It is the authentic conversation, ongoing reflection<br />
during discussion and sharing of viewpoints that challenges thinking and creates a deeper level of<br />
10
synthesis and understanding, both during and after the reading of the text.<br />
There are many options and models for running a book club; there are also no hard and fast rules.<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>ers running literature circles and book clubs will frequently adapt and modify a model to suit<br />
their particular situation. The key point is that when a book club is relaxed but focused, friendly and<br />
safe, when it provides a forum to openly discuss texts and is engaging for all participants, it works.<br />
O r g an i si n g groups<br />
Book clubs are best suited to heterogeneous or mixed ability groups of students. That is, each small<br />
group (of roughly six members) is comprised of students of varying reading ability. Some students<br />
may be high level readers, while others reading the same text may be lower level readers. Of<br />
course, the difficulty of negotiating book choice is that some students may choose a text that is too<br />
difficult for them. In these situations, we must find a way for each student to access the text. Some<br />
ways around this are to:<br />
@ engage support people coming to the classroom to read the text aloud while the student listens<br />
(read aloud reading), or read the text aloud while the student follows along with his or her eyes<br />
(shared reading)<br />
@ allow some students to take the text home so that it can be read aloud to them<br />
@ buddy a high level reader with a low level reader, so that the better reader reads to the other<br />
student (read aloud reading), or reads aloud while the other follows along using his or her own<br />
copy of the text (shared reading).<br />
T h e be n e f its of bo o k clu bs<br />
Aside from building deeper comprehension of texts and generating high levels of student talk, there<br />
are many other benefits to using a book club. These include:<br />
@ helping students to develop an appreciation for, and a love of, literature<br />
@ helping students to connect texts with their own lives<br />
@ exposing students to a range of texts and text types<br />
@ building conversational skills in students<br />
@ building leadership skills in students<br />
@ exposing students to diverse ways of thinking<br />
@ building an acceptance in students of the views of others<br />
@ promoting turn taking in students<br />
@ helping students to develop the ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively<br />
@ helping students to develop confidence<br />
@ providing opportunities for students to examine more complex texts than they might be able to<br />
read on their own<br />
@ enabling lower level readers to choose what they would like to read, rather than being assigned<br />
texts that they can read<br />
@ prompting students for reflection, review and synthesis.<br />
11
H ow to ru n a bo o k clu b<br />
<strong>You</strong> need:<br />
@ small groups of students (about six)<br />
@ multiple copies of texts (literary and non-literary texts are suitable)<br />
@ a selection of roles to support comprehension and discussion (see pages 30 to 34)<br />
Step 1: Choosing texts<br />
1 Introduce a selection of texts (five or six) to students.<br />
2 Distribute the texts so students can preview them.<br />
3 Have students write their name and first three preferences on a piece of paper.<br />
4 Collect these and sort students into workable groups. Attempt to meet students’ preferences.<br />
5 Explain the groups and distribute the texts (each student will require his or her own copy).<br />
Step 2: Preparing for the meeting<br />
1 Select the roles you want to use (see BLMs 17 to 21).<br />
2 Set up a roster (a meeting schedule for each group); once a week, or more regularly if desired.<br />
3 Have students sit in a circle with their group to discuss how much of the text they will read before<br />
their meeting. Encourage students to be conservative, as they must also complete a short task for<br />
the meeting.<br />
4 Introduce the role tasks and assign a different task to each student in a group. Explain that the<br />
book and the role task must be brought to each meeting.<br />
5 <strong>All</strong>ow time for students to complete the reading and the role task. This may become one of the<br />
independent learning tasks you use to support your reading program.<br />
Step 3: Timetabling the meeting<br />
<strong>You</strong> may decide, at least initially, to use your guided reading time to schedule the meetings. This<br />
allows you to be involved in every group meeting while students develop increased independence<br />
and control of the book club. Once students are able to implement a book club successfully, guided<br />
reading groups can resume. <strong>All</strong> book club meetings can then occur at the same time each week.<br />
Step 4: The meeting<br />
Assume the director’s role (to model and demonstrate) for a number of meetings and then assign<br />
this to a student. Once a student takes on the role, you should become an independent observer,<br />
providing support only if required.<br />
1 Welcome the group to the circle.<br />
2 Introduce the text.<br />
3 Invite each person to explain his or her role (until roles are well understood) and share his or her<br />
responses.<br />
4 Invite others to comment or build upon the responses given, and let students know that as this is<br />
a discussion group, they don’t need to raise hands to talk.<br />
5 At the end of each meeting, guide the group in negotiating how much of the text they will read<br />
for the next meeting, and distribute new role cards.<br />
On the final meeting, the group works together to decide on a way to present their text to the<br />
whole class. For example, act out a short section, design an advertisement or make a poster. They<br />
must not give away the story, or else the text cannot be used by other groups. As students develop<br />
greater control of the book club, your role should change to that of rotating observer. Move away<br />
from the group to allow students greater independence, but check on them regularly.<br />
Note: While book clubs are an instructional approach for teaching reading, they are not intended<br />
to replace other instructional approaches. Read aloud reading, shared reading and guided reading<br />
should still occur. The book club should complement and support a balanced reading program.<br />
12
<strong>All</strong> the<br />
Rubrics and<br />
Resources<br />
<strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
13
Rubric<br />
BLM 1<br />
Assessment Rubric: Predict<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Uses title and images to predict<br />
general theme, including simple<br />
sequence of two or three ideas<br />
Predicts on more than one element<br />
from text<br />
Makes predictions that include<br />
contextual words and/or pictures<br />
Makes predictions that often make<br />
sense<br />
Explains predictions in simple terms<br />
Confirms/rejects predictions when<br />
prompted<br />
Predicts general theme, including<br />
sequence of several ideas<br />
Adds details using contextual<br />
words and/or pictures<br />
Makes predictions that are usually<br />
possible<br />
Explains predictions using cited<br />
examples from prior knowledge<br />
and experiences<br />
Predicts text still to be read<br />
Confirms/rejects predictions<br />
Modifies predictions when<br />
prompted<br />
Predicts general theme or idea,<br />
including probable sequence<br />
Adds details extending from, but<br />
linking to, contextual words and/or<br />
visual supports<br />
Explains predictions using prior<br />
knowledge examples linking to<br />
self, others and other texts read or<br />
viewed<br />
Makes ongoing predictions during<br />
reading<br />
Predicts ending for imaginary texts<br />
Justifies predictions using logic and<br />
reasoning<br />
Independently checks and modifies<br />
predictions during reading<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
14
Rubric<br />
BLM 2<br />
Assessment Rubric: Connect<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Makes some relevant connections<br />
to overall topic and specific text<br />
Consistently makes connections to<br />
own experiences<br />
Generally makes connections to:<br />
@ other texts and/or<br />
@ knowledge of world<br />
Explains relevance of connections<br />
in simple terms<br />
Uses connections to build surface<br />
level understanding of text, eg<br />
Adult: How does remembering<br />
how it feels to be thirsty help you<br />
to understand this better?<br />
Student: His mouth feels dry.<br />
Makes relevant connections to<br />
overall topic and specific text<br />
Often connects to:<br />
@ self<br />
@ other texts<br />
@ knowledge of world<br />
Infers how connections build<br />
understanding of text<br />
Uses connections to infer, eg<br />
Adult: How does remembering<br />
how it feels to be thirsty help you<br />
to understand this better?<br />
Student: His mouth would be dry<br />
and it might be hard to talk.<br />
Makes relevant connections to<br />
overall topic, text type and specific<br />
text<br />
Consistently makes connections to:<br />
@ self<br />
@ other texts<br />
@ knowledge of world<br />
Uses connections to deepen<br />
understanding of text, eg<br />
Adult: How does recalling the<br />
feeling of thirst help you to<br />
understand this better?<br />
Student: When your mouth is dry,<br />
you can’t speak clearly. His mouth<br />
is dry and that’s making it hard for<br />
the rescue workers to understand<br />
what he’s saying. Some of his<br />
words are slurred and sound like<br />
other words.<br />
Explains how specific connections<br />
made deepen understanding of<br />
texts<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 3<br />
Assessment Rubric: Infer<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Sometimes infers meanings of<br />
words, phrases and sentences with<br />
accuracy<br />
Infers obvious character feelings<br />
and actions in imaginary texts<br />
Provides simple reasons to support<br />
thinking<br />
Understands cause and effect and<br />
infers possible consequence or<br />
outcome<br />
Infers alternative solution or<br />
outcome to that stated or implied<br />
Understands some texts have<br />
implied or hidden meanings or<br />
messages, eg moral, advertisement<br />
Adds to ideas in text<br />
Often infers meanings of words,<br />
phrases and sentences with<br />
accuracy<br />
Uses contextual information to<br />
infer character feelings and actions<br />
in imaginary texts<br />
Provides logical reasons to support<br />
thinking<br />
Knows meanings may be implied<br />
or suggested<br />
Understands cause and effect and<br />
explains probable consequence or<br />
outcome<br />
Infers alternative solutions or<br />
outcomes on texts with multiple<br />
complications<br />
Infers author’s message<br />
Supports author’s message by<br />
adding to ideas in text<br />
Infers meanings of words, phrases<br />
and sentences with accuracy<br />
Cites evidence in text which<br />
supports thinking<br />
Identifies ideas implied or<br />
suggested<br />
Infers and explains outcomes/<br />
consequences in complex texts<br />
Infers alternative outcomes on<br />
texts with multiple complications<br />
and different points of view<br />
Infers author’s message and<br />
purpose<br />
Makes inferences about hidden<br />
meanings in texts<br />
Enhances or strengthens author’s<br />
message by adding to ideas<br />
Understands texts have hidden<br />
meanings<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 4<br />
Assessment Rubric: Question<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Asks specific questions before<br />
reading/viewing and relating to:<br />
Asks questions before reading/<br />
viewing that show:<br />
Asks questions before reading/<br />
viewing that show:<br />
@ title and images<br />
@ specific context of text<br />
Asks questions during or after<br />
reading/viewing to:<br />
@ clarify unfamiliar words, phrases,<br />
sentences or ideas<br />
@ determine how and why things<br />
happen<br />
@ understand characters’ attitudes,<br />
feelings or actions<br />
@ understand why particular<br />
ideas or information might be<br />
important<br />
@ understand messages implied or<br />
suggested<br />
@ focus on topic or theme of text<br />
@ interest in topic or theme<br />
@ understanding of similar text<br />
types<br />
@ knowledge of topic<br />
Asks questions during and after<br />
reading/viewing to:<br />
@ clarify unfamiliar words, phrases,<br />
sentences or ideas<br />
@ clarify literal/inferential/<br />
evaluative understandings of<br />
general theme or topic<br />
@ gather more information on<br />
topic<br />
@ show interest in author’s<br />
perspective<br />
@ determine moral or implied<br />
message<br />
@ specific focus on the topic or<br />
theme and questions relating to<br />
particular way text is presented<br />
@ broader interest in general topic<br />
or theme<br />
@ broad knowledge of similar text<br />
types<br />
@ knowledge about theme or topic<br />
@ an ability to build on responses<br />
of others<br />
Asks questions during and after<br />
reading/viewing to:<br />
@ clarify inferential and evaluative<br />
understandings<br />
@ determine whether text is<br />
accurate<br />
@ identify overall purpose of text<br />
@ identify motive(s) of author/<br />
speaker and persuasive elements<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 5<br />
Assessment Rubric: Visualise<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Uses words and pictures to<br />
construct mental image<br />
Identifies change in mood or<br />
feeling through words, music,<br />
noise, eg He froze<br />
Imagines a range of stereotypes<br />
and infers additional sensory<br />
information to that stated<br />
Locates words/groups of words<br />
that create sensory images<br />
Explains why imagining helps to<br />
understand texts<br />
Explains how characters, places,<br />
events or things in imaginary texts<br />
might look, sound, feel, taste or<br />
smell<br />
Understands author’s use of<br />
sensory images to build reader<br />
understandings<br />
Identifies words that ‘show’, as<br />
opposed to ‘tell’<br />
Adapts images as more information<br />
is provided<br />
Explains how sensory images help<br />
readers to recall and understand<br />
elements from texts<br />
Constructs detailed images from<br />
text<br />
Recalls and adds to sensory<br />
information stated<br />
Explains why authors use sensory<br />
images<br />
Adapts mental images during<br />
reading<br />
Explains the importance of<br />
visualising<br />
Understands that some mental<br />
pictures are more important than<br />
others<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 6<br />
Assessment Rubric: Determine main idea<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Sequences a series of events in<br />
order<br />
Recalls at least three events in<br />
correct sequence when retelling<br />
imaginary texts<br />
Recalls general theme of nonliterary<br />
texts and adds details and<br />
topic words<br />
Looks for answers in text<br />
Knows approximate part of text to<br />
find specific information<br />
Recalls a series of events in order<br />
and adds some additional details<br />
and vocabulary from text when<br />
retelling<br />
Knows that main ideas are<br />
developed through plot, characters<br />
and setting<br />
Matches some supporting details<br />
to main ideas<br />
Knows where answers are located<br />
in text<br />
Identifies cause and effect<br />
Identifies that language is used<br />
to shape characters and events<br />
in imaginary texts in positive and<br />
negative ways<br />
Sequences events in logical<br />
order and makes predictions and<br />
inferences about events<br />
Recalls all main ideas in order and<br />
provides high level of detail using<br />
context words when retelling<br />
Matches supporting details to<br />
correct main idea<br />
Quickly locates answers in text<br />
Skims or scans unfamiliar texts<br />
when searching for details<br />
Identifies cause and effect and uses<br />
evidence from text to verify<br />
Clearly and concisely explains ideas<br />
from text<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 7<br />
Assessment Rubric: Synthesise<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Activates prior knowledge before<br />
reading<br />
Uses cues like title, image and<br />
blurb to build knowledge before<br />
reading<br />
Integrates visual supports with text<br />
to enhance understandings<br />
Shows deeper understanding of<br />
text/topic after reading/viewing<br />
May change thinking after<br />
reading/viewing<br />
Demonstrates new learning after<br />
reading/viewing<br />
Links prior knowledge to<br />
before, during and after reading<br />
discussions<br />
Makes connections to text<br />
Uses visual supports to understand<br />
concepts in text<br />
Explains how text features support<br />
readers/viewers to make meaning<br />
from texts<br />
Thinks about what has been read/<br />
viewed<br />
Integrates prior knowledge and<br />
connections to self, other texts and<br />
world, before, during and after<br />
reading/viewing<br />
Navigates between running text<br />
and text features to confirm, clarify<br />
and check understandings<br />
Demonstrates deeper<br />
understanding of texts after<br />
reading/viewing by integrating:<br />
@ prior knowledge<br />
@ a full range of text features,<br />
including visual supports<br />
@ running words<br />
Reflects about text and own<br />
understandings during and after<br />
reading<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Rubric<br />
BLM 8<br />
Assessment Rubric: Self-monitor<br />
Student name: Class:<br />
@ Developing Date @ Practising Date @ Mastery Date<br />
Stops when meaning is lost<br />
Pauses to think<br />
Uses pictures and other support<br />
information (diagrams, glossary,<br />
etc) to confirm, check or search<br />
further<br />
Pays closer attention when rereading<br />
to confirm or check, eg<br />
may slow down, pause, check<br />
pictures, focus on other words<br />
Solves unknown words by looking<br />
at letters, and pronounces word in<br />
different ways until it makes sense<br />
Reads ahead<br />
Strategises when meaning is<br />
unclear by:<br />
@ slowing reading down to pay<br />
closer attention<br />
@ re-reading sections of text to<br />
check for word accuracy<br />
@ examining unfamiliar words<br />
more closely<br />
@ using meanings of base words<br />
@ searching for clues left by author<br />
@ checking glossary or dictionary<br />
@ reading ahead<br />
@ returning to prior knowledge<br />
to align text to personal<br />
experiences, other texts or<br />
things happening in the world<br />
Strategises when meaning is<br />
unclear by:<br />
@ slowing down or speeding up<br />
reading<br />
@ re-reading slowly<br />
@ checking punctuation has been<br />
read correctly<br />
@ checking pronunciation<br />
@ reviewing inferences made<br />
@ using morphemic and<br />
etymological knowledge<br />
@ checking glossary or dictionary<br />
@ reading ahead<br />
@ skimming or scanning text for<br />
key words<br />
@ thinking from another<br />
perspective<br />
@ using knowledge of other texts,<br />
situations or topics<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
21
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 9<br />
Predict<br />
What might this be about?<br />
What could happen next?<br />
How could this end?<br />
What do I expect to learn?<br />
Are my predictions possible<br />
and probable?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Predict<br />
22<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 10<br />
Connect<br />
@ I make connections to:<br />
– things that I’ve experienced<br />
– things that I’ve read about<br />
or viewed<br />
– things that have happened<br />
in my world<br />
@ I think:<br />
How does my connection help<br />
me to understand the text<br />
better?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
23
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 11<br />
Infer<br />
What is the author<br />
saying and what do<br />
I think about it?<br />
What<br />
conclusions<br />
can I<br />
draw?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer<br />
24<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 12<br />
Question<br />
I ask questions as I read in<br />
order to:<br />
@ find an answer I need<br />
@ clarify my understandings<br />
@ try to learn more.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
25
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 13<br />
Visualise<br />
I make mental pictures as I read.<br />
<strong>To</strong> help me understand the text<br />
I imagine what I see, hear,<br />
smell, taste and feel.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Visualise<br />
26<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 14<br />
Find the<br />
Main Ideas<br />
@ I can locate the<br />
main ideas.<br />
@ I can identify the<br />
supporting details.<br />
@ I can summarise<br />
what I have read.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
27
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 15<br />
Synthesise<br />
I learn more each time<br />
I read by combining:<br />
@ my prior knowledge<br />
@ visual supports from<br />
the text<br />
@ the running words.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Synthesise<br />
28<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Mini-Poster<br />
BLM 16<br />
I monitor the text to<br />
confirm that it makes sense.<br />
@ Should I read it again?<br />
@ Should I skim or scan?<br />
@ Should I slow down?<br />
@ Should I pause to think?<br />
@ Should I think about this<br />
in a different way?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Self-monitor<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
29
Book Club Roles<br />
BLM 17<br />
✄<br />
Predictor<br />
Connector<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to predict what could happen<br />
next.<br />
Use what you know of the characters<br />
and events to help you.<br />
I predict<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to make connections from this<br />
text to other things.<br />
Think about whether the text connects to:<br />
@ your own life<br />
@ other things you have read<br />
@ things that have happened in your<br />
school or neighbourhood<br />
@ things that have happened in other<br />
cities, or other parts of the country<br />
or world<br />
@ things in the news<br />
@ things you have seen on television or<br />
the internet<br />
My connections are<br />
30<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Book Club Roles<br />
BLM 18<br />
✄<br />
Investigator<br />
Bookworm<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to find words or groups of<br />
words that are difficult to understand.<br />
Clue: A word is difficult if you find its<br />
meaning hard to explain to someone<br />
else.<br />
Word or words<br />
Meaning<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to find one or two short<br />
sections to read aloud to the group.<br />
These might be:<br />
@ interesting parts<br />
@ funny parts<br />
@ scary parts<br />
@ well-crafted sentences<br />
@ parts that flow well<br />
Page<br />
Word or words<br />
Paragraph number<br />
I chose this part because<br />
Meaning<br />
Word or words<br />
Page<br />
Meaning<br />
Paragraph number<br />
I chose this part because<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
31
Book Club Roles<br />
BLM 19<br />
✄<br />
Creator<br />
Illustrator<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to get creative! Make<br />
something relevant to the text.<br />
Explain your creation.<br />
I have created<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to draw or sketch something<br />
from the text. <strong>You</strong> may add labels,<br />
captions or speech bubbles to your<br />
illustration.<br />
Explain your illustration.<br />
I have drawn/sketched<br />
It is relevant to my reading because<br />
My illustration shows<br />
32<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Book Club Roles<br />
BLM 20<br />
✄<br />
Analyst<br />
Summariser<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to think about how this text<br />
is told.<br />
Think about:<br />
@ bias or prejudice<br />
@ the point of view that is shown<br />
@ points of view that are left out<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to sum up what happened in<br />
this section of the text.<br />
Hint: Imagine you are writing the blurb<br />
to describe the main events. Aim for<br />
between two and four sentences.<br />
My summary<br />
@ any judgements that are made<br />
@ hidden meanings<br />
@ the author’s purpose<br />
My observations<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
33
Book Club Roles<br />
BLM 21<br />
✄<br />
Interviewer<br />
Director<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to get some discussion going.<br />
Think of three open-ended questions or<br />
statements.<br />
How else could . . . ?<br />
Why might . . . ?<br />
Are there other ways to . . . ?<br />
How would you feel about . . . ?<br />
How did you feel about . . . ?<br />
I’m wondering why . . .<br />
<strong>You</strong>r job is to direct the group.<br />
Begin by welcoming people to your<br />
group. Then:<br />
@ invite each person to share<br />
@ thank each person for sharing<br />
@ invite others to comment.<br />
Ask your group to decide how much will<br />
be read/viewed for the next session.<br />
Conclude by thanking your group.<br />
Let’s discuss what/how/why . . .<br />
Discussion Starter 1<br />
Discussion Starter 2<br />
Discussion Starter 3<br />
Thank you for<br />
sharing your ideas<br />
with our group.<br />
34<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>All</strong> the<br />
Lesson<br />
Banks and<br />
Text<br />
Models<br />
<strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
35
Lesson Bank<br />
Preparing for Cyclones and Wild Storms<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Question<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
@ Self-monitor<br />
Mini-lesson 1:<br />
Self-monitoring<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge and<br />
experience by asking students to recall what they<br />
know about wild storms, cyclones or hurricanes.<br />
Ask them whether they do anything special at their<br />
house to prepare for big storms, for example put<br />
away bikes, balls and yard equipment, or put tape<br />
onto windows. Explain that in areas where cyclones<br />
and wild storms are common, people make more<br />
thorough and careful preparations because damage<br />
to property and life can occur.<br />
Distribute BLM 22 and BLM 30. Explain that BLM 30<br />
is a fact sheet. The purpose of the fact sheet is to<br />
support thinking about the text. Read the instructions<br />
on the fact sheet and explain the two columns. Tell<br />
students they are going to read the text twice. The<br />
first time they will simply read the entire text, then<br />
they will re-read the text and complete the fact sheet.<br />
After reading, invite students to explain connections<br />
they have made to and from this text. Invite<br />
students to discuss elements from the text that need<br />
clarification.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
What did you learn?<br />
What connections did you make which helped you<br />
to understand this text better?<br />
Is there anything on your fact sheet that you need<br />
clarified or would like to discuss?<br />
How do you prepare for cyclones or wild storms?<br />
Mini-lesson 2: Synthesising<br />
Explain that it is important to link what we are<br />
reading to what we already know. Sometimes new<br />
information fits nicely with what we know and it all<br />
makes perfect sense. But sometimes it doesn’t fit,<br />
or align, very well with our existing knowledge, and<br />
when this happens we need to question two things:<br />
the accuracy of our prior knowledge and the accuracy<br />
of the text.<br />
Distribute BLM 31 and guide students to think about<br />
how well the information from the text aligns with<br />
their current thinking. For example, ‘Does it make<br />
sense to you that you should repair the roof and<br />
guttering before a cyclone or wild storm? Why?’<br />
Have students re-read the text, and then reflect on<br />
information from the text and how well it aligns or<br />
does not align with their prior knowledge. Record<br />
the answers on BLM 30 and facilitate small group or<br />
partnered discussion to engage all of the students in<br />
focused talk.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Questioning<br />
Tell students that they should aim to learn<br />
something new from each reading or viewing<br />
episode. We can use what we read and view<br />
to inspire us to learn more. Searching for more<br />
information about topics helps us to learn more<br />
about our world, which in turn builds our skills<br />
as learners as well as readers. Asking questions is<br />
an important part of reading. Encourage students<br />
to deepen their understanding of the text by<br />
thinking:<br />
I wonder why . . .?<br />
What would happen if . . .?<br />
Does this mean . . .?<br />
How else could . . .?<br />
Why did . . .?<br />
Use Task Card 1 to prompt students to further<br />
their thinking and to view learning as a lifelong<br />
activity.<br />
Evaluative thinking<br />
Discuss the purpose of texts like that on BLM 22.<br />
Explain that authors write texts for a particular<br />
purpose and for a particular audience. The author<br />
has written this text to help people stay safe<br />
and look after their property and belongings.<br />
Distribute Task Card 2 and use it to prompt<br />
students to think critically and strategically about<br />
crafting texts.<br />
36
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 22<br />
Preparing for Cyclones and Wild Storms<br />
Every year between November and April, coastal areas of<br />
Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory<br />
are at risk of being hit by cyclones. A cyclone is a violent<br />
storm accompanied by winds of more than 90 km/h, which<br />
rotate around a calm centre.<br />
Cyclones can be very dangerous. Strong winds can cause extensive damage to<br />
property and blow debris about. Flooding rains can also accompany cyclones,<br />
causing further damage and increasing the risk of drowning. It is important that<br />
residents in these coastal areas prepare for the cyclone season.<br />
<strong>You</strong> can prepare your property or home by:<br />
@ repairing the roof and guttering, if necessary<br />
@ fitting windows with shutters or metal screens<br />
@ securing loose items in yards<br />
@ cleaning up debris that could be blown around<br />
@ trimming trees near your house.<br />
<strong>You</strong> can also be prepared with supplies by:<br />
@ organising an emergency first aid kit<br />
@ replacing batteries in torches and radios<br />
@ keeping candles, matches, medications, sturdy gloves, important documents,<br />
emergency phone numbers and spare batteries in waterproof bags<br />
@ buying stocks of water and non-perishable food<br />
@ filling buckets with water in case your water supply is lost<br />
@ withdrawing cash to cover essential items like food, water<br />
and fuel, in case local automatic teller machines (ATMs)<br />
cannot be accessed.<br />
What to do when a cyclone hits<br />
@ Turn off the electricity.<br />
@ Listen to radio updates.<br />
@ Wait in the strongest room of the house (usually a small room) and seek<br />
shelter under a mattress or sturdy table.<br />
@ Remain indoors until you are notified of safe conditions outside.<br />
Being prepared for cyclones or violent storms helps to<br />
minimise damage to your property and helps you to stay safe.<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
37
Lesson Bank<br />
Virtual Cafe<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Determine main idea<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
@ Self-monitor<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Understanding<br />
Text Types<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students to share what they know about the internet.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
Who uses the internet at home?<br />
What websites do you visit?<br />
What are some of the different things you can click<br />
on?<br />
What is the difference between a website and a web<br />
page?<br />
What types of things do you find on a web page?<br />
What is a link?<br />
How do you know which links you should follow?<br />
Distribute BLM 23. Before reading, ask students what<br />
they notice about this text. Discuss the features of<br />
this web page. Ask students to predict what a virtual<br />
cafe might be. Have students read the text.<br />
After reading, distribute BLM 32 and have students<br />
discuss their responses to this task with a friend<br />
before recording their answers. Invite students to<br />
share their responses. Guide the discussion to clarify<br />
understandings.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Fact or opinion<br />
Explain that the information on some texts<br />
reads as if it is true or accurate, but it may be<br />
advertising or an opinion or assumption made by<br />
the author(s). Explain that a fact is something that<br />
is true and undisputed, and an opinion is what<br />
someone thinks or believes. For example, Babies<br />
cry when they are hungry is a fact, and Babies are<br />
cute is an opinion.<br />
Provide a selection of texts and ask students<br />
to use these to locate facts and opinions. Tell<br />
students to record their thinking on BLM 33.<br />
Constructing texts<br />
Explain that a web page is a particular type of text.<br />
Web pages have consistent design features and<br />
these make it easier for readers, or users, to use and<br />
understand them. Ask students whether they know<br />
the names of any special parts of a web page, for<br />
example ‘hyperlink’.<br />
Revisit the text and discuss the features of this<br />
text type. The following is a guide to the general<br />
features of websites.<br />
@ hyperlink—a selectable object (word/group of<br />
words/sentence/image/button) on a web page<br />
that takes a user to another location<br />
@ menu—a system of consistently styled links to<br />
navigate the site<br />
@ banner—branding that is usually horizontal<br />
and at the top of the page (and usually contains a<br />
logo)<br />
@ footer—a horizontal strip that signifies the<br />
bottom of the page and may contain links<br />
@ side bar—a vertical column that usually<br />
contains secondary navigation or content related<br />
to the topic of the page<br />
Distribute Task Card 3 and use it to guide<br />
students to apply their knowledge of this text<br />
type.<br />
Critical thinking<br />
Explain that all texts are constructed for a reason.<br />
The purpose may be to entertain, persuade or<br />
inform. Ask students to revisit the text and make<br />
inferences about the author’s purpose. Ask students<br />
whether this text has been constructed to persuade<br />
them to do something. Revisit the text and invite<br />
students to use it to support this discussion.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
Which words tell you that this is advertising?<br />
What other clues are there that this is an<br />
advertisement?<br />
Who is the intended audience?<br />
What incentive is offered? Why might an<br />
incentive be offered?<br />
Think about other web pages you have seen.<br />
Discuss what you think about the use of colour<br />
and design elements.<br />
Distribute Task Card 4 and use it to prompt<br />
students to examine websites more critically.<br />
38
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 23<br />
Virtual Cafe - Homepage<br />
http://www.virtualcafe.com.au<br />
File Edit View Favourites <strong>To</strong>ols Help<br />
Virtual Cafe - Homepage<br />
Page<br />
<strong>To</strong>ols<br />
Virtual Cafe<br />
Would you like to dine at the world’s most famous restaurants? Want to try<br />
new and exotic meals prepared by the world’s best chefs? How about eating<br />
guilt free, without the worry of calories? Read on to find out how.<br />
Virtual Cafe is a new concept in weight control and lifestyle. At Virtual Cafe<br />
you can enjoy delectable meals, desserts and drinks without taking in any<br />
calories. For only $30 per person, you can visit 5-star restaurants anywhere in<br />
the world, and choose from hundreds of delicious dishes.<br />
It’s not just about the meal, but the whole experience. <strong>You</strong>’ll receive silver<br />
service, and our maître d’ and chef will ensure that your dining experience<br />
surpasses any you could imagine.<br />
<strong>All</strong> you need is a computer. We’ll provide the rest. We have no joining fee,<br />
and we’ll send you a new menu each week. For a limited time, new members<br />
can enjoy a free test meal at one of our top five restaurants. That’s how<br />
confident we are that you’ll be back, time after time. <strong>To</strong> take advantage of<br />
this special offer, click here.<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
39
Lesson Bank<br />
Fright<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Connect<br />
@ Visualise<br />
@ Determine main idea<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Visualising<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students how they feel when they see<br />
a scary show or movie. Distribute BLM 24 and discuss<br />
the way this text looks. Have students read the text.<br />
Tell students to take note of the author’s word choice<br />
and the text’s rhythm as they read. After reading,<br />
discuss the text.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
What is this text about?<br />
What has happened to the character in this poem?<br />
Can you relate to this experience? Invite students to<br />
share their connections to this text.<br />
What did you notice about the way this text sounds?<br />
What did you notice about the vocabulary chosen?<br />
Aside from a scary film or show, what else might<br />
prompt these feelings and actions? Prompt students<br />
to elaborate.<br />
Explain to students that imagining an event actually<br />
happening, or imagining ourselves in the situation,<br />
helps us to make deeper connections to a text and<br />
gain deeper insights or understandings about what<br />
characters are experiencing and feeling.<br />
Distribute BLM 34 and tell students to listen to the<br />
text as you read it aloud. Tell students to imagine the<br />
event occurring as they listen. After reading, have<br />
students sketch a scene from the text, adding as<br />
much detail as possible. Prompt students to explain<br />
to a friend why visualising is important when reading.<br />
Ask them what sorts of texts are easier to visualise.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Key concepts<br />
Explain that key concepts are the general ideas<br />
presented in a text. Discuss the key concepts from<br />
books or films students know. List them on a board<br />
or chart. Prompt students to notice more than<br />
one concept within each text. Support students to<br />
explain the key concepts clearly and concisely.<br />
Tell students to re-read the text and take note<br />
of the key concepts. Distribute BLM 35 and tell<br />
students to show two key concepts, and then to<br />
explain them in their own words. Have students<br />
relate each key concept to a personal experience.<br />
When complete, have students work in pairs to<br />
share their ideas with another student.<br />
Making connections to other texts and to<br />
the world<br />
Tell students that when reading or viewing, it is<br />
important to make connections to other texts they<br />
know and things that are happening in their school,<br />
neighbourhood, city or world. These connections<br />
can help them to better understand the text they<br />
are reading or viewing. Distribute Task Card 5 and<br />
use it to deepen understandings of connecting to<br />
other texts and to the world.<br />
Connecting to self<br />
Explain to students that if they have seen a scary<br />
film or show, it is easier to make connections to a<br />
text like this.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
In what way could these connections deepen your<br />
understandings of this text?<br />
Invite students to share their experiences, and<br />
prompt them to explain their feelings. Support<br />
them to choose words that help others to visualise,<br />
or imagine, the experience.<br />
Some people are like this character and behave<br />
bravely when they are frightened.<br />
Do you know anyone like this?<br />
Are you like this?<br />
Discuss how this connection could build deeper<br />
understandings. Distribute Task Card 6 and use it<br />
to promote connections to self.<br />
40
Name<br />
Fright<br />
Date<br />
Saw the film<br />
Scary, grim<br />
Knuckles white, courage thin.<br />
Now it’s home<br />
Off I go<br />
Everything moving extra slow.<br />
Wind whistling here<br />
Shadows there<br />
Trees are blowing<br />
Everywhere.<br />
Getting closer<br />
Getting near<br />
Gaining on me<br />
Freeze with fear.<br />
Turn to face it<br />
Paralysed<br />
Know there’s terror in my eyes.<br />
Start to run<br />
Home ahead<br />
Through the door<br />
Into bed.<br />
Hiding<br />
Trembling<br />
Feel the buzz<br />
In comes Mum<br />
“How was it, Love?”<br />
“Can’t talk now,<br />
I’m tired,<br />
Go!”<br />
Don’t want to let my terror show.<br />
Angela Ehmer<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 24<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
41
Lesson Bank<br />
Almost Swallowed by a Shark<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Predict<br />
@ Question<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Synthesising<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students what they know about shark attacks.<br />
Prompt students to explain their thinking.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
Do shark attacks happen in shallow or deeper water?<br />
Who is usually attacked?<br />
Are shark attacks usually fatal?<br />
What makes shark attacks so dangerous?<br />
Tell students that it is important to think about<br />
what we know about a topic before reading. This<br />
knowledge acts like an anchor. The more anchors<br />
we have, the easier it is to make sense of new<br />
information because we have something that we can<br />
attach it to.<br />
Distribute BLM 25. Discuss the title and invite<br />
students to infer what this text will be about. Ask<br />
students whether they think this person survived the<br />
attack. Explain that this text is based on actual events.<br />
Distribute BLM 36 and explain that the task is<br />
designed to prompt thinking before, during and after<br />
reading. Have students complete the Before reading<br />
section and make predictions about this text. Prompt<br />
students to notice the words in bold text. Read and<br />
discuss the meanings of these words prior to reading.<br />
Ask students to read the text and complete the<br />
During reading section as they read. After reading,<br />
invite students to share their responses to this text.<br />
Conclude by guiding students to reflect and evaluate<br />
their learning by completing the After reading section<br />
of the task. Have students share their responses.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Clarifying<br />
Distribute BLM 37 and explain that talking about<br />
what has been read or viewed is a valuable way to<br />
build better understandings. Ask students if they<br />
have ever seen a movie or show that had parts<br />
that were difficult to understand. How does it<br />
help to talk about these parts with someone else<br />
who also saw the movie or show? Explain that<br />
discussing things that we read about or view is<br />
a way to use other people’s understandings and<br />
perceptions to help us clarify our own thinking.<br />
Have students identify three parts of the text they<br />
would like to discuss, and record their reason(s) for<br />
choosing these sections. Break students into small<br />
discussion groups to discuss the sections identified.<br />
Gather the group and support students to reflect<br />
about how talking helped to promote, reinforce or<br />
extend understandings of this text.<br />
Connecting to self<br />
Tell students that there are many ways to show a<br />
connection to a text. Some artists draw inspiration<br />
from what they experience, read and view, or<br />
from feelings that different experiences evoke. Tell<br />
students to consider images, feelings, sensations<br />
or thoughts that can be shown through a creative<br />
response. Distribute Task Card 7 and use it to prompt<br />
students for a creative connection to this text.<br />
Evaluative thinking<br />
Explain that this event was a big news story when<br />
it happened. There were many segments on<br />
the news and in newspapers around the world<br />
reporting this event. Examine news articles on<br />
various topics to revisit the generic structure.<br />
Discuss and demonstrate the crafting of a news<br />
article and invite students to search online<br />
for specific articles about this event to gather<br />
additional information. Distribute Task Card 8<br />
and use it to follow-up this demonstration and<br />
construct a text around the main ideas from BLM 25.<br />
42
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 25<br />
Almost Swallowed by a Shark<br />
chisel: a tool that is<br />
squared and flattened<br />
at the end<br />
abalone: a mollusc<br />
that is popular with<br />
shellfish eaters<br />
lead-weight vest:<br />
a vest that spreads<br />
extra weight across a<br />
diver’s body, helping<br />
him or her to stay<br />
down in the water<br />
Experts believe that shark attacks against<br />
humans are often a case of mistaken identity.<br />
Most attacks are not fatal. Attacks by great<br />
white sharks, however, are usually deadly<br />
because of the size of these creatures and<br />
the force of the animal’s bite.<br />
In 2007, Eric Nerhus encountered a great<br />
white shark and survived. Eric’s encounter<br />
may be remembered as one of the greatest<br />
tales of survival involving a wild animal and a<br />
human.<br />
Eric, an Australian abalone diver, was diving<br />
near the town of Eden in New South Wales.<br />
He was about 20 feet down in the weedy,<br />
murky waters of the Pacific Ocean when a<br />
great white shark appeared from nowhere<br />
and clamped its teeth down on Eric’s head<br />
and shoulders.<br />
Eric’s face mask was smashed and his nose<br />
broken. Unable to see from the blood pouring<br />
from his wounds, Eric swung his arms about,<br />
clubbing the shark with the only weapon he<br />
had — a chisel used to break the abalone<br />
shells. The shark released its grip and Eric<br />
attempted to swim to safety, but the ordeal<br />
was not over yet.<br />
The shark returned and clenched its jaws<br />
around Eric’s torso. Fortunately, he was<br />
wearing a lead-weight vest which prevented<br />
fatal injuries to his soft flesh. As the shark<br />
tightened its grip and began to shake, Eric<br />
knew that quick action was required if he was<br />
to survive this final stage of a shark attack.<br />
Again using his chisel, Eric stabbed the<br />
shark in the head, and as it released him he<br />
frantically swam to the surface. Other divers<br />
could see the severity of his injuries. Eric<br />
was conscious and alert. In addition to his<br />
facial injuries, he suffered lacerations to all<br />
sides of his torso and chest.<br />
Eric was extremely lucky to have survived<br />
this attack. Had he not been wearing his<br />
lead-weight vest and carrying his chisel, this<br />
attack would most likely have been fatal.<br />
Eric is the first professional abalone diver to<br />
survive an attack by a white pointer.<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
43
Lesson Bank<br />
The Missing Ticket<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Predict<br />
@ Determine main idea<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Confirming and<br />
Rejecting Predictions<br />
Before reading, explain that making predictions<br />
before you read helps you to make sense of the text<br />
as you read. This is why it is helpful to read the blurb,<br />
or synopsis, on the back cover of the book. The blurb<br />
helps readers to understand what is happening and to<br />
solve things when they don’t make sense. Distribute<br />
BLM 26 and BLM 38 and tell students that this is<br />
a mystery story. Invite students to share what they<br />
know about mystery stories. Ask students to think<br />
about what the text may be about and to record their<br />
predictions and reasoning on the table.<br />
After reading, discuss the text.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
What was the mystery in this text?<br />
Can you explain the story’s plot? Where is it set?<br />
What did you learn about the main characters?<br />
How accurate were your predictions about this text?<br />
Discuss your predictions with a friend.<br />
On a board or chart, write these sentence starters.<br />
My prediction was confirmed by/when . . .<br />
My prediction was rejected by/when . . .<br />
Have students choose the appropriate sentence<br />
starter, and then explain to a partner the factors<br />
confirming or rejecting their prediction. Have students<br />
record their thinking on the table.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Character analysis<br />
Explain that authors give their fictional characters<br />
specific qualities that shape the way readers<br />
view them. The author carefully chooses words,<br />
situations and actions that present a character in a<br />
particular way. Ask students to suggest the names<br />
of likeable characters from books. List these on<br />
a board or chart. Ask students to name different<br />
qualities describing these characters. List these<br />
on the board. Repeat for characters that students<br />
dislike.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
What is a stereotype?<br />
Why might authors craft characters<br />
that appear to be stereotyped?<br />
How does stereotyping help readers to see<br />
characters in a certain way?<br />
Guide students to understand that stereotyping<br />
enables a reader or viewer to predict most<br />
outcomes. For example, they know that despite<br />
the many battles Spider-man has, he will be<br />
victorious in the end. Ask students to suggest<br />
characters they know that are stereotyped.<br />
Most characters we read about are not<br />
stereotyped. The Missing Ticket is real-life fiction.<br />
In real-life fiction, authors construct characters<br />
that the audience can relate to. They then create<br />
situations that could occur in real life.<br />
Distribute BLM 39 and ask students to discuss the<br />
character of Sam with a friend. Tell students to<br />
re-read the text and locate evidence which<br />
supports their thinking. Share the responses in a<br />
whole class discussion.<br />
Text deconstruction<br />
Tell students that a story like this can be taken<br />
apart to reveal the author’s original plan. The<br />
author will have thought about the:<br />
@ title<br />
@ plot<br />
@ setting<br />
@ characters and their qualities<br />
@ problem<br />
@ solution<br />
Guide students to deconstruct a different (known)<br />
class text and then use Task Card 9 to provide<br />
independent practice.<br />
Sequencing<br />
Ask students what a storyboard is. Explain that a<br />
storyboard is a sequence of sketches, sometimes<br />
with captions or notes attached, that outlines the<br />
sequence of events in a story, movie or show.<br />
Distribute Task Card 10 and use it to support<br />
students to use a storyboard to scaffold their<br />
understanding of the main ideas from this text.<br />
44
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 26<br />
The Missing Ticket<br />
Sam and Gillian raced through the<br />
turnstile, eager to get to the roller-coaster.<br />
“It’s got to be there!” panted Sam as<br />
they approached the Big Dipper.<br />
“Which seat were you in?”<br />
“Right at the back,” responded Sam.<br />
“How do you even know you still had it at<br />
the roller-coaster?”<br />
“The guy operating the ride talked to<br />
me about the concert. He tried to get a<br />
ticket too, but they were sold out. Poor<br />
guy’s a diehard fan like me.”<br />
Sam and Gillian arrived at the Big Dipper<br />
just as the operator arrived at the<br />
platform. “Sorry kids, this one won’t start<br />
until eleven. Try the Tall Terror if you<br />
want some thrill action.”<br />
“Actually we’re looking for something we<br />
left behind yesterday,” Gillian said.<br />
“I don’t like your chances. This baby flies.<br />
Not much survives until the next ride, let<br />
alone the next day.”<br />
“Do you mind if we check anyway?” Sam<br />
asked hopefully.<br />
“Go ahead, but I’ll need to come with<br />
you. It’s a safety issue for the park.”<br />
They moved quickly to the back carriage.<br />
There was no sign of the concert ticket.<br />
Sam’s disappointment was clear.<br />
“What is it you’ve lost?” asked the ride<br />
operator.<br />
“My ticket to the Junkyard Dogs concert<br />
tonight,” Sam mumbled sadly. Sam had<br />
saved every dollar he’d earned at his job<br />
at the grocery store to buy that ticket.<br />
“Did you say Junkyard Dogs?” the<br />
operator asked thoughtfully.<br />
“Yeah, they’re my favourite band.”<br />
“Wait here,” said the operator. “I’ll just<br />
check something.”<br />
With a gleam in his eye, the operator<br />
returned a few minutes later. He told Sam<br />
and Gillian that he’d just spoken to the<br />
ride operator who had been working the<br />
day before. “This guy’s got a history of<br />
being light-fingered and it’s not the first<br />
time he hasn’t handed in property left at<br />
the ride. He mentioned the Junkyard Dogs<br />
concert to me the other day, which is<br />
what helped me put two and two together<br />
with your missing ticket. I’ve persuaded<br />
him to come good with your ticket if he<br />
wants to keep his job. He’ll be here in a<br />
few minutes with your ticket and his tail<br />
between his legs. <strong>You</strong> have the right to<br />
report him to park management.”<br />
Sam felt a mix of<br />
delight and relief.<br />
He couldn’t wipe<br />
the smile from his face<br />
for the rest of the<br />
afternoon. And to<br />
top it off, the Junkyard<br />
Dogs concert was the<br />
best night of his life.<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
45
Lesson Bank<br />
Landmines<br />
46<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Question<br />
@ Determine main idea<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Cause and<br />
Effect: Retrieval Chart<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students what they know about landmines. Prompt<br />
students to share their understandings. Probe for<br />
deeper understandings and to promote inferential<br />
thinking.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
How does a landmine work?<br />
What is the purpose of a landmine?<br />
In what sorts of places are landmines used?<br />
Distribute BLM 27. Discuss the illustration and ask<br />
students to infer how the landmine is activated. Read<br />
the text.<br />
After reading, distribute BLM 40 and explain that this<br />
is called a retrieval chart. Tell students that a retrieval<br />
chart is used to organise thinking and sort ideas.<br />
Discuss the text and complete the retrieval chart,<br />
using information from the text and inferences from<br />
the students. Ask students to share their opinions<br />
about landmines. Prompt students to explain their<br />
thinking.<br />
Follow Up<br />
Note taking<br />
Explain that each paragraph of a text usually has<br />
a main idea which is supported by other facts<br />
relating to it. Ask the students to re-read the<br />
first paragraph and identify the main or most<br />
important idea (ie what a landmine is). Then<br />
ask students to work with a friend to count the<br />
number of supporting facts, or smaller details,<br />
which provide more information about the main<br />
idea. Invite them to share their findings, and have<br />
them record these on BLM 41.<br />
<strong>To</strong> provide a higher level of scaffolding, work<br />
through the remaining two paragraphs in the<br />
same way. <strong>To</strong> provide less scaffolding, have<br />
students work alone or with a friend to complete<br />
the remaining paragraphs. Discuss what they<br />
have written.<br />
Clarifying<br />
Explain that it is important to think about things<br />
we don’t understand (or need clarified), and<br />
things we have more questions about as a result<br />
of the reading we have done. Tell students that<br />
good readers ask themselves questions about<br />
things in their reading. They build knowledge<br />
from the text, but are also inspired and interested<br />
to learn more because of the text.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
What have you learned from your reading?<br />
What do you need to clarify, or talk more about,<br />
in<br />
order to understand this text better?<br />
As a result of your reading, what are you still<br />
wondering about or wanting to learn more<br />
about?<br />
Distribute Task Card 11 and use it to prompt<br />
students to reflect about texts read, and to use<br />
questioning strategies to deepen understandings<br />
during and after reading.<br />
Critical thinking<br />
Explain that all texts are constructed for a reason.<br />
The purpose may be to entertain, persuade or<br />
inform. Ask students to revisit the text and make<br />
inferences about the author’s purpose. Encourage<br />
students to explain their thinking. Explain<br />
that some texts are written to inform and to<br />
encourage readers to think or act in a certain way.<br />
Ask students whether they have opinions about<br />
the use of landmines.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
Do you think landmines should be used? Why?/<br />
Why not?<br />
Has reading this text shaped your thinking about<br />
landmines? How?<br />
Does this text make you want to do something<br />
about this?<br />
(Explain that doing something may be any of the<br />
following: telling others; taking social action, for<br />
example contacting a newspaper or writing to a<br />
politician; reading more about the topic).<br />
Use Task Card 12 to prompt students to view<br />
texts more critically.
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 27<br />
A landmine is an explosive device<br />
hidden in the ground and used<br />
during wartime. When pressure is<br />
applied to a landmine, it explodes<br />
violently, killing or maiming the<br />
victims. Landmines are usually<br />
placed just under the ground and in<br />
places where people walk.<br />
<strong>To</strong>day many landmines remain<br />
planted in the earth, despite the fact<br />
that the wars might be over. Their<br />
proximity to homes and villages<br />
poses a threat to people in these<br />
communities. Approximately every<br />
22 minutes a landmine is triggered<br />
somewhere in the world.<br />
It is estimated that between 60 and<br />
70 million landmines are currently<br />
Landmines<br />
active across more than 70 countries.<br />
More than a third of victims are<br />
children under the age of 15.<br />
The use of landmines is controversial<br />
because of the danger that remains<br />
long after conflicts are over. Land is<br />
deemed impassable and unusable<br />
for many decades.<br />
Humanitarian organisations consider<br />
landmines to be one of the most<br />
serious problems that exist today.<br />
More than one-third of the world’s<br />
countries are affected by landmines.<br />
A total of 158 countries have signed<br />
an agreement to ban their use.<br />
Thirty-seven countries have not<br />
agreed to the ban.<br />
Pressure plate<br />
Fuse body<br />
Indicator arrow<br />
shows mine is<br />
armed<br />
Soil<br />
A landmine buried in the soil<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
47
Lesson Bank<br />
Gruesome Rhymes. Jack and Jill<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Connect<br />
@ Infer<br />
@ Question<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Evaluative<br />
Thinking: PMI<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students to recall some nursery rhymes. Ask students<br />
what they know about the origins of nursery rhymes.<br />
Explain that there are many theories, or beliefs,<br />
about how these texts came about. Some theories<br />
suggest the rhymes were about significant events that<br />
happened at different times in history.<br />
Distribute BLM 28 and ask students to fold the<br />
page so that the rhyme is visible but the history is<br />
hidden. Ask students to work with a friend to read<br />
and discuss the rhyme, ‘Jack and Jill’, and to make<br />
inferences about its original meaning. Invite students<br />
to share their inferences. Unfold the sheet to show<br />
the remaining text. Discuss the meaning of the<br />
bold words. Have students read the remaining text.<br />
Remind them to read the meanings of the bold words<br />
again if needed.<br />
After reading, discuss this theory about the rhyme.<br />
Invite students to offer opinions about whether they<br />
agree or disagree. Ask them to infer ways of verifying<br />
or disputing this theory.<br />
Distribute BLM 42 and ask students to evaluate their<br />
thinking about this text. Invite them to share their<br />
responses.<br />
Mini-lesson 2: Making<br />
Connections<br />
Tell students that when reading or viewing, it<br />
is important to connect our prior knowledge<br />
and experiences, knowledge of other texts and<br />
knowledge of the world, to and from the text we<br />
are reading or viewing. Making connections helps to<br />
build deeper understandings of the text. Distribute<br />
BLM 43 and have students make connections to and<br />
from the text before and after re-reading.<br />
After reading, guide students to reflect on the<br />
connections they have made. Model this process<br />
by writing connections on a board or chart and<br />
modelling the thinking process: Is my connection<br />
relevant? How does my connection help me to<br />
understand this text better?<br />
For example:<br />
@ Connection to self: I know lots of nursery rhymes.<br />
This connection is relevant to the topic, but it does<br />
not help me to understand the text better.<br />
@ Connection to world: I’ve heard about a king called<br />
Henry. I think he gave an order to cut off the queen’s<br />
head. They used a guillotine.<br />
This connection is relevant to the topic because it was<br />
hundreds of years ago, like the history of this rhyme,<br />
and they used a guillotine. It helps me to know that<br />
beheadings actually happened and kings and queens<br />
could be beheaded.<br />
Ask students to re-read their connections and ask<br />
themselves the following: Are my connections<br />
relevant to the topic? How does my connection help<br />
me to understand this text better?<br />
Follow Up<br />
Investigating<br />
Have students work in pairs and use Task Card<br />
13 to extend their knowledge of the text type,<br />
and to investigate the origins of other rhymes. Tell<br />
students to check more than one source when<br />
researching to help them form an opinion about<br />
whether the history, or theory, is accurate or<br />
inaccurate. Invite students to share their findings<br />
and discuss their opinions.<br />
Questioning<br />
Explain that proficient readers ask themselves<br />
questions before, during and after reading. They<br />
know when they need clarification and they<br />
wonder more about what they are reading.<br />
Use Task Card 14 to prompt for questioning<br />
strategies.<br />
48
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 28<br />
Gruesome Rhymes. Jack and Jill<br />
Jack and Jill went up the hill<br />
<strong>To</strong> fetch a pail of water<br />
Jack fell down and broke his crown<br />
And Jill came tumbling after.<br />
Up Jack got, and home did trot<br />
As fast as he could caper<br />
Went to bed and bound his head<br />
With vinegar and brown paper.<br />
People have different ideas about the history of the first verse<br />
of this popular children’s rhyme. One theory is that it was based<br />
on real events that occurred in France in 1793. The character,<br />
Jack, relates to King Louis XVI, and Jill, to his wife, Queen Marie<br />
Antoinette. The theory suggests that the rhyme tells the gruesome<br />
story of the beheading of the King and Queen during a violent<br />
period known as the ‘Reign of Terror’.<br />
Those sentenced to death ascended a flight of stairs to a<br />
stage upon which sat a machine called a guillotine. The<br />
victims took turns kneeling, with their necks placed across the<br />
section of the guillotine on which the blade would land when<br />
released.<br />
The executioner’s job was to prepare King Louis XVI and<br />
Queen Marie Antoinette for beheading, shackle their wrists<br />
and release the blade which would sever the head cleanly<br />
from the body. The stage provided a clearer view for<br />
onlookers watching the grisly event.<br />
Many who believe this explanation of the events in<br />
the rhyme think that the original rhyme had only<br />
one verse. A second was later added to provide<br />
a more cheerful ending for young children.<br />
What do you think?<br />
behead: to decapitate<br />
or cut off somebody’s<br />
head<br />
guillotine: a machine<br />
with a sharp, heavy<br />
blade which slides<br />
vertically<br />
ascend: to go up<br />
theory: idea or way<br />
of thinking<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
49
Lesson Bank<br />
The Greatest Eruption of <strong>All</strong> Time<br />
50<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> focus<br />
@ Infer<br />
@ Visualise<br />
@ Synthesise<br />
Mini-lesson 1: Advanced<br />
KWL<br />
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking<br />
students what they know about volcanoes. Prompt<br />
for vocabulary that will assist when reading the text.<br />
Distribute BLM 44 and explain the KWLSE. Ask<br />
students to record responses in the K and W sections<br />
of the table.<br />
Distribute BLM 29 and ask students to read the<br />
interesting facts to gather more topic knowledge<br />
before reading the body of the text. Discuss the facts<br />
and invite comments. Have students read the text.<br />
After reading, invite students to share what they<br />
have learned from the text and probe for higher level<br />
thinking. Remind students to revisit the text to check.<br />
Guide students to connect with the text by using<br />
multi-sensory information to imagine the event.<br />
Prompt guide<br />
How long ago did Mt Vesuvius erupt?<br />
What happened as a result of the eruption?<br />
The locals had lived their whole lives near the<br />
volcano. Why were they unprepared for the<br />
eruption?<br />
Describe the scene before Mt Vesuvius erupted<br />
Describe the scene during the eruption.<br />
Re-read paragraph 4. How could the author know<br />
this occurred? How does this description help you<br />
to understand and relate to what happened?<br />
Can you imagine what the eruption looked like?<br />
Imagine the smell. What do you expect it would<br />
be like? How do you think you would feel? What<br />
would you be thinking? How important do you<br />
think it would be to you to locate your loved ones?<br />
Have students return to the KWLSE and complete<br />
the remaining sections. Invite students to share their<br />
responses with a peer and then come together as a<br />
large group to discuss the key ideas in this text.<br />
Mini-lesson 2: Cause and<br />
Effect<br />
Discuss the terms ‘cause’ and ‘effect’. Explain that<br />
one thing can cause another thing to happen. Show<br />
some examples of cause and effect on a board or<br />
chart. The table below may help.<br />
Cause<br />
heavy rain<br />
strong winds<br />
lightning strikes<br />
Have students re-read the text and look for examples<br />
of cause and effect. Tell them to discuss their findings<br />
with a friend. Distribute BLM 45 and have students<br />
record as many examples as they can find. When<br />
finished, ask students to use a different coloured pen<br />
to record cause and effect examples that they can<br />
infer from their reading. Explain to students that they<br />
will need to use the information stated in the text<br />
and think more about it. The table below offers a few<br />
examples.<br />
Cause<br />
ash raining down<br />
sounds of the<br />
eruption<br />
blast of ash and gas<br />
Effect<br />
flooding<br />
Invite students to share their inferences and prompt<br />
them to give reasons to support their thinking.<br />
Follow Up<br />
damage to trees and<br />
property<br />
fallen trees, damage to<br />
property<br />
Effect<br />
animals died<br />
birds were frightened<br />
and flew away<br />
bodies burned, skin<br />
melting<br />
Investigating<br />
Use Task Card 15 to extend students’ knowledge<br />
of this topic. Remind them to gather information<br />
from more than one source to verify its accuracy.<br />
<strong>You</strong> may opt to have students focus on a particular<br />
comprehension task, for example compare/<br />
contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, KWL.<br />
Evaluative thinking<br />
Tell students that when reading or viewing, we<br />
form opinions about a text. Use Task Card 16 to<br />
build understandings of different points of view<br />
and opinions of this text.
Name<br />
Date<br />
Text Model<br />
BLM 29<br />
The Greatest Eruption of <strong>All</strong> Time<br />
In the year 79, Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupted<br />
violently, burying the Roman city of Pompeii and<br />
claiming more than 2000 lives. An account of the<br />
eruption was discovered in letters written by a young<br />
Roman.<br />
Mt Vesuvius lay dormant for 800 years and residents<br />
of the surrounding cities were unaware of the danger<br />
the volcano posed. Vesuvius had come to resemble<br />
any other mountain with lush vegetation and an<br />
abundance of wildlife. There was little obvious<br />
evidence to suggest its treacherous past.<br />
In the early afternoon of 24 August, locals noticed a<br />
large cloud above the mountains, but were unable to<br />
identify which mountain the cloud was rising from.<br />
Parts of the cloud were white and other parts were<br />
blotchy and dirty. Residents were curious about the<br />
mysterious cloud.<br />
As the cloud approached Pompeii, it became dense<br />
and black. Ash began to rain down like snow, and<br />
some residents fled the city. Darkness engulfed<br />
Pompeii. Shrieks, yells and cries filled the air. Parents<br />
and children called for each other, unable to see,<br />
trying to recognise voices. Others prayed, huddled<br />
together, terrified.<br />
A loaf of bread, almost 2000<br />
years old, was found inside<br />
a baker’s oven in the buried<br />
city of Pompeii.<br />
Most victims of Mt Vesuvius<br />
were thought to have died<br />
from suffocation.<br />
Among the victims frozen in<br />
their final pose was a guard<br />
dog, still chained to its post.<br />
Mt Vesuvius last<br />
erupted in 1631.<br />
Those caught in the town or hiding in their homes<br />
became victims of a sudden, powerful blast of ash<br />
and gas which set around their bodies like plaster<br />
casts. They would be found hundreds of years later<br />
frozen in the exact position in which they lay or hid<br />
in their final terrifying moments.<br />
After the eruption of Vesuvius, Pompeii remained<br />
buried. The first large-scale archaeological excavation<br />
of the city began in 1860 and continues today.<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
51
<strong>All</strong> the<br />
Worksheets<br />
and<br />
Task Cards<br />
<strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong><br />
52
Name<br />
Date<br />
Fact Sheet<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 30<br />
During reading, record facts (words, phrases, ideas and/or diagrams) which are<br />
important for you to understand this text. Explain the relevance of each entry.<br />
Facts from the text<br />
@ Words<br />
@ Phrases<br />
@ Ideas<br />
@ Diagrams<br />
Relevance<br />
@ Connection (This reminds me of . . .)<br />
@ Clarify (I don’t understand . . .)<br />
@ Question (I’m wondering . . .)<br />
@ ‘Aha!’ moment (I understand! So<br />
that’s why . . .)<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect, Question, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
53
Worksheet<br />
BLM 31 Name Date<br />
Reading Reflection<br />
Great readers think about how new information aligns with what they<br />
already know.<br />
Identify three things from the text and explain how they fit with what<br />
you know. Discuss with a friend.<br />
Idea from the text<br />
How this aligns/does not align with<br />
what I know<br />
It is also important to reflect on the new knowledge you have gained.<br />
Identify three things that you didn’t know before.<br />
Things I learned from my reading<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Synthesise<br />
54<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Worksheet<br />
Name Date BLM 32<br />
Understanding Text Types<br />
Proficient readers use what they know about different text types to<br />
help them to better understand what they are reading or viewing.<br />
Use what you know about text types to fill in the panels below.<br />
Text type<br />
Intended audience<br />
Purpose of this text<br />
Main ideas<br />
Features of this text type<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
55
Worksheet<br />
BLM 33<br />
Name<br />
Fact<br />
Date<br />
or Opinion<br />
A fact is true information. An opinion is one person’s view or belief. An opinion can be disputed.<br />
Read the text and record the facts and opinions on the T-Chart.<br />
Facts<br />
Opinions<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Synthesise<br />
56<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Visualising<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 34<br />
Imagine a scene from this text. Sketch it below.<br />
Add labels, captions or speech balloons to add meaning.<br />
Explain why it is important to imagine, or visualise, during reading.<br />
In your opinion, what makes some texts easier to visualise than others?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Visualise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
57
Worksheet<br />
BLM 35<br />
Name<br />
Key Concepts<br />
Date<br />
The key concepts are the general ideas or themes.<br />
Find two key concepts in the text and record your thinking below.<br />
Key Concept 1<br />
Put this concept in your own words.<br />
Make a personal connection to this concept.<br />
Key Concept 2<br />
Put this concept in your own words.<br />
Make a personal connection to this concept.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect, Determine main idea<br />
58<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 36<br />
Thinking About Thinking<br />
Great readers think before reading. They think during reading. They think after reading.<br />
Before reading<br />
I predict<br />
I wonder<br />
I expect to learn<br />
During reading<br />
I noticed<br />
I didn’t know<br />
I can relate to<br />
After reading<br />
I’m interested in<br />
I learned<br />
I feel<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Predict, Infer, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
59
Worksheet<br />
BLM 37<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
Talking Points<br />
Talking is an important way to build understandings.<br />
During reading, find three parts of this text that you<br />
would like to talk about.<br />
I’d like to talk about<br />
My reason for wanting<br />
to talk about this<br />
How did talking help me<br />
to understand this better?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Synthesise, Self-monitor<br />
60<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 38<br />
Predict and Confirm<br />
Before reading<br />
Use the title and any other general clues to predict what the text may be about.<br />
My prediction<br />
Reasons for my prediction<br />
After reading<br />
It’s time to confirm or reject your prediction and think about how your experiences help you to<br />
better understand this text.<br />
Confirm or reject? What was the text about?<br />
Prior knowledge and experiences that help me to understand this text<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Predict, Self-monitor<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
61
Worksheet<br />
BLM 39<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
Supporting My Thinking<br />
What kind of person is the main character? Describe two qualities,<br />
for example fun, adventurous or evil.<br />
Find evidence from the text to support your thinking.<br />
Quality 1<br />
Evidence in text that supports my thinking<br />
Quality 2<br />
Evidence in text that supports my thinking<br />
How is this character like or unlike you?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Self-monitor<br />
62<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Retrieval Chart<br />
Date<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 40<br />
A retrieval chart is one way to organise your thinking.<br />
Complete a retrieval chart to show the cause and effects of<br />
two things from your reading, and then add possible solutions.<br />
Cause Effect (problem) Solution<br />
Rate how you feel about what you’ve learned. Use this scale and mark it with a tick.<br />
Very unhappy<br />
Very happy<br />
Give reasons for your rating.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Determine main idea, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Worksheet<br />
BLM 41<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
Note Taking<br />
Find the important ideas and supporting facts from your reading.<br />
Important Idea/Picture<br />
Supporting Facts<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea<br />
64<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 42<br />
Plus<br />
Minus<br />
PMI<br />
Intriguing<br />
How do you feel about this text? Complete the PMI and give reasons to explain your thinking.<br />
Plus<br />
Reason<br />
Minus<br />
Reason<br />
Intriguing<br />
Reason<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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Worksheet<br />
BLM 43<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
Making Connections<br />
Great readers make connections to and from the text to themselves, other texts and their world.<br />
Make three connections and discuss them with your friends.<br />
Text:<br />
Connection to something that has happened to me<br />
Connection to other texts I’ve read or viewed<br />
Connection to things that have happened or are happening in my world<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect<br />
66<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
KWhat I already know<br />
LWhat I have learned<br />
EWhat else did I learn?<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
Advanced KWL<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 44<br />
Before reading, record what you know and what you’d like to know about<br />
this topic. After reading, record what you have learned, where you could<br />
search for more information, and what else you learned.<br />
WWhat I would like to<br />
know<br />
SWhere I can search<br />
for more<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
67
Worksheet<br />
BLM 45<br />
Name<br />
Cause and Effect<br />
Date<br />
One thing can cause another thing to happen.<br />
Think about cause and effect as you read.<br />
Record the causes and effects of things you read in the text.<br />
Cause<br />
Effect<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Determine main idea, Synthesise<br />
68<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Clarifying<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 46<br />
As you read a book, record the words you don’t understand. Record what you think the words<br />
mean. (Hint: Read the text again.) Then find out and record what they actually mean.<br />
Tricky word I think it means . . . It actually means . . .<br />
?<br />
?<br />
?<br />
?<br />
Ways to decode tricky words<br />
?<br />
?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Self-monitor<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
69
Worksheet<br />
BLM 47<br />
Name<br />
Fact Finder<br />
Date<br />
Read a nonfiction book. What did you know before you read it?<br />
What did you learn? How has your thinking changed?<br />
Title:<br />
I already knew<br />
I learned<br />
Reflection<br />
Choose two things that you knew before and explain how your thinking about them has<br />
changed as a result of your reading.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Synthesise<br />
70<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
Name<br />
Date<br />
Worksheet<br />
BLM 48<br />
Read a book<br />
and record your<br />
responses.<br />
Title<br />
Reflection<br />
I learned<br />
Something that appealed to me was<br />
Reason<br />
This book reminds me of<br />
Reason<br />
I would recommend this book to<br />
because<br />
I wouldn’t recommend this book to<br />
because<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
71
Worksheet<br />
BLM 49 xx<br />
Name<br />
Date<br />
<strong>All</strong> in your mind<br />
Read a book. What could you imagine? Choose three parts of the book to show this.<br />
Describe what you see/hear/feel/smell/taste.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Visualise<br />
72<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 1<br />
Fact Finder<br />
Find a text which appeals to you.<br />
Facts I learned from<br />
this text.<br />
Questions I could answer<br />
by thinking about what I<br />
have read.<br />
Facts I learned from<br />
researching further.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Question, Synthesise<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 2<br />
Know <strong>You</strong>r Audience<br />
Find a text which describes something interesting.<br />
How could you present this message to an audience of<br />
your age?<br />
Find the most important information<br />
and present it in a way that grabs<br />
your audience’s attention.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
73
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 3<br />
Web Designer<br />
Design a web page about<br />
something you know a lot<br />
about. Look at some other<br />
web pages to get some<br />
clues about the features<br />
you should include.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Visualise, Synthesise<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 4<br />
Read Beyond the Lines!<br />
There is a lot to look at on a website. Sometimes<br />
you need to look carefully to determine the author’s<br />
purpose.<br />
Find five websites that are designed to sell a product<br />
or service.<br />
Find five websites that are designed to inform the<br />
reader, but not sell them anything.<br />
How many of these websites ask you for your contact<br />
details?<br />
Tell your classmates about your findings.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Synthesise<br />
74 <strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 5<br />
Making Connections<br />
Find a text which appeals to you.<br />
Prepare a PowerPoint or other presentation to<br />
show how the text reminds you of:<br />
@ other texts you know<br />
@ things happening in your school,<br />
neighbourhood, city or world.<br />
Add photographs or images<br />
to enhance your presentation.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 6<br />
My Life in Pictures<br />
Collect a series of texts which remind<br />
you of your own experiences. <strong>You</strong> can<br />
add photographs and captions to your<br />
collection of texts to show important<br />
events in your life.<br />
When you present your collection,<br />
explain the way each text connects to<br />
your life.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Connect<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
75
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 7<br />
Get Creative!<br />
Create something to illustrate an<br />
interesting point from a text you<br />
have read.<br />
Be ready to explain<br />
your creation to others.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Visualise<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 8<br />
Newsflash!<br />
Write a newspaper article about an<br />
event. Search for a suitable image<br />
to add.<br />
Publish the article on your class blog<br />
or print it out the way it would look<br />
in a newspaper.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea, Synthesise<br />
76 <strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 9<br />
Dissect it!<br />
Take a story apart to help you to<br />
understand it. Use these headings.<br />
Construct your own story idea using these<br />
headings. Write a summary to share with<br />
your class.<br />
Title<br />
Plot (What is it about?)<br />
Setting (Where does it happen?)<br />
Characters<br />
Qualities of characters<br />
Problem<br />
Solution<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Determine main idea<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 10<br />
Imagine you are making a movie of a<br />
story you have read. Make a storyboard<br />
to show what happens in the story.<br />
When you have finished, present your<br />
storyboard to the class. Explain how you<br />
will shoot the scenes for each part of<br />
your storyboard.<br />
Movie Maker<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Visualise, Determine main idea, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
77
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 11<br />
Make a Note!<br />
As you read, use sticky notes to record any questions<br />
or comments you have about a topic.<br />
Re-read the text.<br />
After reading, check your questions<br />
and disregard any that you have<br />
clarified by re-reading.<br />
Search for more information about the<br />
topic to clarify any remaining questions.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Self-monitor<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 12<br />
Protectors against Prejudice<br />
Choose a friend to work with you.<br />
<strong>To</strong>gether, your job is to protect<br />
against prejudice. Review some texts<br />
you have studied and determine<br />
whether the author is trying to:<br />
@ shape the way you think<br />
@ prompt you to take some kind<br />
of action.<br />
Present your findings to the group.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Infer, Question, Synthesise<br />
78 <strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 13<br />
Research an historical text.<br />
Investigate the origins of this text<br />
and share your opinions about<br />
whether you agree or disagree<br />
with what you have read.<br />
Find an artist’s portrayal to match<br />
this text or make your own to<br />
share with the group.<br />
Agree or Disagree?<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Self-monitor<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 14<br />
What do you think?<br />
Great readers reflect or think about the text<br />
after reading.<br />
Choose two prompts below and share your<br />
reflections.<br />
I realised . . .<br />
I wonder why . . .<br />
I don’t really understand . . .<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Synthesise<br />
<strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3<br />
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<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 15<br />
Check <strong>You</strong>r Sources<br />
Research a topic which interests you.<br />
Check your sources to make sure your<br />
information is accurate.<br />
Prepare a brief report.<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Question, Self-monitor<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Task Card 16<br />
Opinions Matter!<br />
Choose a text which the class has studied.<br />
Interview others to gather their opinions of<br />
the text. Find out what they liked, disliked<br />
and found interesting.<br />
Present a quick summary.<br />
Post your opinions on a message board.<br />
Our general feeling about . . . was . . .<br />
We liked . . . because . . .<br />
We disliked . . . because . . .<br />
These are the parts we found<br />
interesting . . .<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Focus: Synthesise<br />
80 <strong>All</strong> <strong>You</strong> <strong>Need</strong> to <strong>Teach</strong> <strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages <strong>10+</strong> © Angela Ehmer/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 7254 3
<strong>All</strong> the tools a smart<br />
teacher needs!<br />
<strong>All</strong> you need to teach . . . <strong>Comprehension</strong> provides all the resources and support<br />
you need in the classroom to explicitly teach comprehension strategies.<br />
<strong>Teach</strong>ing Tips — all the background information you need<br />
Assessment Rubrics — one list of levelled criteria for each<br />
comprehension strategy<br />
Mini Posters — one for each comprehension strategy for classroom display<br />
Book Club Role Cards — designed specifically for students at this level<br />
Lesson Banks and Text Models — focusing on specific<br />
comprehension strategies<br />
Worksheets and Task Cards — to accompany the lesson banks, or to<br />
use flexibly in your own lessons<br />
COMPREHENSION<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> strategies taught:<br />
• Predict<br />
• Connect<br />
• Infer<br />
• Question<br />
• Visualise<br />
• Determine Main Idea<br />
• Synthesise<br />
• Self-monitor<br />
Also available:<br />
<strong>All</strong> you need to teach . . .<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages 5–8<br />
<strong>Comprehension</strong> Ages 8–10<br />
Other titles in this series:<br />
<strong>All</strong> you need to teach . . .<br />
• Drama<br />
• Critical Thinking, Humour<br />
and Text<br />
• Nonfiction Text Types<br />
• Information Literacy<br />
• Calculators<br />
• Problem Solving<br />
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