C.H.o.M.P.
With the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, research papers become more prevalent in the secondary classroom. Across all content areas, students often struggle to collect and summarize information during the beginning stages of research. The CHoMP strategy challenges students to “bite off,” or extract small pieces of core research information and generate a paraphrased set of notes free of plagiarism. Using this approach, the often daunting process of identifying key information in non-fiction texts is broken down into a set of manageable, less-intimidating steps.
Guinee, K. & Eageton, M. B. (2006). Spinning straw into gold: Transforming information into knowledge during web-based research. English Journal, High School Edition, 95(4), 46-52.
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R.A.P. ACRONYM
With studied benefits on the reading comprehension of third graders, the R.A.P. acronym is simple, flexible, and can be used across content areas and grade levels. As shown to the left, the three steps of the R.A.P. strategy involve R for "Read a paragraph," A for "Ask yourself, "What was the main idea and two details?," and P for "Put information into your own words. The article proposes a scripted think-aloud for the modeling of this strategy as well as a six step SRSD process for its implementation into the classroom and to get students to "buy into" the strategy. Hagaman, J. L., Luschen, K., & Reid, R. (2010). The " RAP" on Reading Comprehension. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(1), 22–29.
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CONCEPT MURALING
As a preview activity, Concept Muraling operates around an “uncomplicated pictorial overview of the concepts” in an informational text (p. 376). Benefactors of this activity have been as young as kindergarten and older students with learning disabilities and English as a second language. Prior to class, teacher scans content-area text for 6-8 significant concepts to present. Teacher creates a simple visual for each major concept (via original drawings, clipart) – either on an overhead transparency or on a SmartBoard – and orders them in a logical progression. During class, teacher projects the image sheet and points to each illustration and presents up to three facts about each before moving on to the next picture. Teacher writes any new vocabulary on the image sheet itself as she orates each image. Presentation ranges from 3 – 30 minutes depending on difficulty of concepts. The image sheet is removed from student view. Teacher points to each image’s empty spot and asks students what the picture was and then what information they can recall about it. This discussion cycle continues for each image. The image sheet is re-projected for students to view again. Students create their own concept mural logs with a partner, generating their own images to represent the teacher’s 6-8 points. After reading the accompanying content-area text, students add to their concept maps what new information and details about the points they acquired from the reading. Farris, P. J. & Downey, P. M. (2004/2005). Concept muraling: Dropping visual crumbs along the instructional trail. The Reading Teacher, 58(4), 376-380.
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BIOPOEMS / BIO-PYRAMIDS
For an autobiographic or biographic text in history, students can writer either Biopoems or Bio-Pyramids, which are two poetic strategies that direct students to the generic most important information in such genres. Both forms offer students a concise structure to fill in, prompting them to go back to the text and extract the necessary information to complete the poetry skeletons. The Biopoems are reminiscent of the English Language Arts "I Am" poem and Bio-Pyramids mirror Narrative Pyramids, as discussed under the fiction tab of identifying important information. To bridge informational text analysis with digital and new literacies, students can also visit websites - like www.biography.com - with a list of famous historical figures they can research (ones associated with the current unit of study i.e. civil rights activists, U.S. presidents, etc.) and summarize the online texts via Bio-Pyramid. The Biopoem form is more abstract, while the Bio-Pyramid is more explicit and concrete as to what should be included. Perhaps scaffolding with the Bio-Pyramid can lead students to the more abstract thinking about the most important information required of the Biopoem.
Knipper, K. J. & Duggan, T. J. (2006). Writing to learn across the curriculum: Tools for comprehension in content area classes. The Reading Teacher, 59(5), 462-470. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/203281315?accountid=11072
McLaughlin, M., & Allen, M.B. (2002). Bio-pyramid. In Guided comprehension: A teaching model for grades 3-8 (pp. 91-95). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
McLaughlin, M., & Allen, M.B. (2002). Bio-pyramid. In Guided comprehension: A teaching model for grades 3-8 (pp. 91-95). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
BIOPOEM
1. First Name
2. Four traits that describe character 3. Relative (i.e. brother, sister, mother) of... 4. Lover of... (three things or people) 5. Who feels... (three items or emotions) 6. Who needs.... (three items) 7. Who fears.... (three items) 8. Who gives.... (three items) 9. Who would like to see... (three items) 10. Resident of... 11. Last name |
BIO-PYRAMID
1. Person's Name
2. Two words describing the person 3. Three words describing the person's childhood 4. Four words indicating a problem the person had to overcome 5. Five words stating one of his/her accomplishments 6. Six words stating a second accomplishment 7. Seven words stating a third accomplishment 8. Eight words stating how mankind benefited from his/her accomplishments |
SUMMARY CUBES
Although adaptable and able to guide students to the important information in fiction texts also, Summary Cubes provide students with a hands-on, interactive approach to pinpointing and remembering the important information in an informational text, especially a dense content-area textbook. The six sides of the cube are inscribed with six of the main points of the story - as predetermined by the teacher. Just like in the "Tossed Term" strategy, students group together in small, tight circles and gently toss the cube to one another. Whichever side that lands face up, the catcher must define in terms of the specified story. Or, as an alternative, students complete the rolling independently, and write on the cube itself. Summary Cubes can be made easily assembled with glue, squares of construction paper (a different color for each side) and rinsed out, empty, small milk cartons. Fisher, D., Brozo, W.G., Frey, N, & Ivey, G. (2011). 44: Tossed Terms. In 50 Instructional Routines to Develop Content Literacy (pp. 132-134). Boston: Pearson Education, Inc.
McLaughlin, M., & Allen, M.B. (2002). Summary cubes. In Guided comprehension: A teaching model for grades 3-8 (pp. 228-229). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. |