Reading for Meaning: A Collaborative learning unit for ENL students. Karen Hewett – Media Specialist Pam Allen – ENL Teacher The objectives of the unit are to have ENL students: __ Read for pleasure __ Discuss what they had read __ Summarize the story(ies) __ Brainstorm themes and questions from the book __ Gather information based on one theme (from each book) __ Evaluate and organize the information __ Cite the sources used __ Produce a multimedia product (PowerPoint) __ Present the project to an audience of classmates __ Evaluate the research process Materials Included: __ Timeline __ Description of proposed lesson and standards correlations __ Book Summary Rubric __ Student research evaluation form __ Description of the completed unit The Presentation Rubric used is available at www.ncsu.edu/midlink/rub.pres.html
Reading for Meaning Study Unit: Timeline Two days First meeting (Media Center) Book Talks Books distributed Scholastic Reading Counts! introduced Rubric for written summary distributed Twelve days Read books (Classroom) Listen to tapes (if desired) Discuss chapters Take SRC! Quiz Write a summary of the story Evaluation of summary by Ms. Allen Two days Brainstorm themes from stories (Media Center) Find 3 or 4 possible questions for research Learn how to use the online catalog, electronic databases, etc. Two days Gather and read information in the library (research) Begin writing up Story Boards for PowerPoint Presentations Receive rubric for PP Projects Six days PowerPoint tutorial Work on PowerPoint presentations Two days Finish up Begin sharing presentations with classmates Questions from classmates about the subject of the PP Discussion Self-evaluation using the rubric and a short written paragraph Evaluation of PP presentation by Ms. Hewett (rubric) Two days Continue sharing presentations with classmates Questions from classmates about the subject of the PP Discussion Self-evaluation using the rubric and a short written paragraph Evaluation of PP presentation by Ms. Hewett (rubric)
ESOL Reading for Meaning Project: Description Lawrence North High School Team Members: Karen Hewett, Media Specialist Pamela Allen, ESOL Teacher Mary Cruz Olvera, ESOL Instructional Assistant Robert Smith, Technology Coordinator Section 1) IntroductionResearch has demonstrated that comprehension, the goal of effective reading instruction, requires wide reading, responding to questions and talking and writing about what is read (Torgenson, 1998). For English as a Second Language (ESOL) students, encouragement to read becomes an especially important challenge. These students are often frustrated by their lack of experience in reading, writing and speaking the English language. They are trying to learn in a language they do not know well, and are trying to learn to speak, read, understand and write in that language at the same time. This puts ESOL students in a constant state of trying to “catch up” to their English-speaking peers. The Reading for Meaning project allows ESOL students to team up with classmates to read, research, write and create a multi-media presentation within a motivating, hands-on framework. Reading, oral discussion, analysis, written summarizing, brainstorming, media center and online research and organization and presentation of information are experiences students will participate in during the course of this learning unit. Our hope is that students will continue to read independently with the help of the SRC quiz program. Section 2) Goals and Objectives: Students will demonstrate the ability to: 1. Read award-winning literature (at a middle school reading level) independently. 2. Discuss the story, by chapter, within a small group 3. Take an electronic quiz to test for comprehension.
Language Arts Standards: Rdg 7.3.2 Identify events that advance the plot. (ILS 2, 5, 6) Rdg 7.3.3 Analyze characterization as shown through a character’s thoughts words.. Rdg 7.3.4 Identify and analyze themes such as bravery, loyalty, friendship …(ILS 2, 3, 5, 6) Rdg 8.1.3 Verify the meaning of a word in its context… (ILS 1, 2, 3, 6) Rdg 9.3.4 Determine characters’ traits by what the characters say about themselves… Listening 9.7.7 Make judgments about the ideas under discussion… (ILS 2, 8) Listening 9.7.17 Deliver oral responses to literature… 4. Brainstorm in small groups. Language Arts Standards: Writing 9.4.1 Discuss ideas for writing with classmates.. (ILS 9) Writing 9.4.4 Use writing to formulate clear research questions…(ILS 1, 3) 5. Research answers to questions. (ILS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9) 6. Write a one-paragraph summary of the story. Language Arts Standards: Writing 9.4.5 Develop the main ideas within the body of the composition… (ILS 1, 3) 7. Create a written storyboard based on research. 8. Create a PowerPoint multimedia presentation based on the story board script. Language Arts Standards: Writing 9.4.9 Use a computer to design and publish documents… (ILS 3, 5) Writing 9.4.10 Review, evaluate and revise writing for meaning… (ILS 2, 3) Writing 9.4.11 Edit and proof read one’s own writing… (ILS 2, 3, 5, 7) Writing 9.4.12 Revise writing to improve…organization…(ILS 2, 3, 5, 7) 9. Participate in a group presentation of their PowerPoint project. Language Arts Standards: Listening: 9.7.19 Deliver descriptive presentation… (ILS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) 10. Read books of choice independently and take electronic quizzes to measure comprehension Section 3) Methods and Activities:As outlined in the above section, all activities included in the Reading for Meaning project support Indiana Academic Standards and/or one or more of the nine Information Literacy Standards. Students will begin this leaning unit with independent reading. They will have the story on audiotape to listen to as they read the text to help with comprehension. Students will take a test over components of the story through Scholastic Reading Counts software program. Students will discuss story elements with peers, write a short summary of the story and brainstorm to create questions that are generated from the book (ie. The Watsons Go to Birmingham 1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis, may provoke questions about civil rights, segregation, church bombings, African American families, etc.). Students will then learn elements of research in the media center and use those skills to find and evaluate information about the questions they have generated. PowerPoint presentations will be created using the found information. Best practice strategies are represented by the incorporation of many learning styles into this unit of study. Learning is designed to take place with the support of individual attention from instructors and small group work for peer support. Hands on activities are introduced with the quiz software and again with the multimedia project as well as active library research. Resources needed for this unit include sets of trade books with audiotapes, Scholastic Reading Counts! software program, time for planning among team members for facilitation of lessons and stipend for teachers creating and planning this curriculum during summer meetings. Funds for professional development, and on-site software training in-service by Scholastic Reading Counts!, are needed as well. Assessment of student learning will take several forms. Comprehension of the elements of the story will be assessed through the Scholastic Reading Counts quiz software.
Oral discussions of the book will be monitored by the instructor(s) and ongoing assessment of understanding will occur during these discussions. Teachers will approve research questions created by each group and will, at that time, know whether or not the group has reached an appropriate level of understanding of the story. The media specialist will guide research. The students will have a rubric with which they, and the teachers, can measure their performance for the final presentation of their information. Teachers will make individual assessments of quizzes, written summaries and presentations and students will also grade themselves on final presentations and evaluate the experience, as a whole, in writing. Section 4) Team Collaboration, Study Groups or Professional Development:The goal of this learning unit is to help ESOL students understand the implications of a story and to see its relevance in a real world application. This is achieved through integrated study and hands-on, technology-related activities. Team members will meet to design the chronology, information literacy and technology integration and scope of the project. At that time definitive roles will be assigned to the ESOL teachers, media specialist and technology coordinator. At this time it is likely that the ESOL teacher and the media specialist will introduce the unit. The ESOL teachers will preside over small reading groups and the summary writing. The media specialist will show students how to use the Scholastic Reading Counts quiz program and be responsible for generating quiz reports on the students to make sure they are passing the quizzes and understanding the story. Research and evaluation of sources will be done with help from both ESOL teacher and media specialist and PowerPoint instruction will be taught by the technology coordinator and the media specialist with the ESOL teacher(s) assisting. The technology coordinator will also help students understand how to save files on the network to their own “H” drives and how to ensure their work is saved correctly and safely.
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Date _______________ Circle all that apply: 1. This study unit was:
2. I learned something new in this learning unit. True False 3. My favorite part of the Reading for Meaning unit was: a. Reading the book b. Writing the summary c. Researching the topic d. Creating the PowerPoint e. Presenting the PowerPoint project 4. My least favorite part of this unit was: f. Reading the book g. Writing the summary h. Researching the topic i. Creating the PowerPoint j. Presenting the PowerPoint project 5. The most valuable thing I learned was: ___________________________________________________________________________ |