All You Need To Teach Comprehension 10+

Lesson Bank
Almost Swallowed by a Shark
Comprehension focus
@ Predict
@ Question
@ Synthesise
Mini-lesson 1: Synthesising
Before reading, activate prior knowledge by asking
students what they know about shark attacks.
Prompt students to explain their thinking.
Prompt guide
Do shark attacks happen in shallow or deeper water?
Who is usually attacked?
Are shark attacks usually fatal?
What makes shark attacks so dangerous?
Tell students that it is important to think about
what we know about a topic before reading. This
knowledge acts like an anchor. The more anchors
we have, the easier it is to make sense of new
information because we have something that we can
attach it to.
Distribute BLM 25. Discuss the title and invite
students to infer what this text will be about. Ask
students whether they think this person survived the
attack. Explain that this text is based on actual events.
Distribute BLM 36 and explain that the task is
designed to prompt thinking before, during and after
reading. Have students complete the Before reading
section and make predictions about this text. Prompt
students to notice the words in bold text. Read and
discuss the meanings of these words prior to reading.
Ask students to read the text and complete the
During reading section as they read. After reading,
invite students to share their responses to this text.
Conclude by guiding students to reflect and evaluate
their learning by completing the After reading section
of the task. Have students share their responses.
Follow Up
Clarifying
Distribute BLM 37 and explain that talking about
what has been read or viewed is a valuable way to
build better understandings. Ask students if they
have ever seen a movie or show that had parts
that were difficult to understand. How does it
help to talk about these parts with someone else
who also saw the movie or show? Explain that
discussing things that we read about or view is
a way to use other people’s understandings and
perceptions to help us clarify our own thinking.
Have students identify three parts of the text they
would like to discuss, and record their reason(s) for
choosing these sections. Break students into small
discussion groups to discuss the sections identified.
Gather the group and support students to reflect
about how talking helped to promote, reinforce or
extend understandings of this text.
Connecting to self
Tell students that there are many ways to show a
connection to a text. Some artists draw inspiration
from what they experience, read and view, or
from feelings that different experiences evoke. Tell
students to consider images, feelings, sensations
or thoughts that can be shown through a creative
response. Distribute Task Card 7 and use it to prompt
students for a creative connection to this text.
Evaluative thinking
Explain that this event was a big news story when
it happened. There were many segments on
the news and in newspapers around the world
reporting this event. Examine news articles on
various topics to revisit the generic structure.
Discuss and demonstrate the crafting of a news
article and invite students to search online
for specific articles about this event to gather
additional information. Distribute Task Card 8
and use it to follow-up this demonstration and
construct a text around the main ideas from BLM 25.
42