Reading In The Social Studies Area

This is an easy to use template to assist students in "making the connections".

Reading Strategy for Social Studies

Understanding Vocabulary from Context

The context of a word is its environment or the words which surround it.  By looking closely at these surrounding words, the reader can pick up hints or clues which will help him with the meaning of a difficult word.  Research has shown that most good readers use context clues regularly.  It has also been shown that these readers are generally aware of the different types of context clues.  Knowing something about these different types can help sharpen word attack skills and improve overall reading ability.

Types of Context Clues

Clues supplied through synonyms:
Carly is fond of trite, worn-out expressions in her writing.  Her favorite is "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink."

Clues contained in comparisons and contrasts:
As the trial continued, the defendant's guilt became more and more obvious.  With even the slightest bit of new evidence against him, there would be no chance of acquittal.

Clues contained in a definition or description:
Paul is a transcriptionist, a person who makes a written copy of a recorded message.

Clues through association with other words in the sentence:
Brian is considered the most troublesome student ever to have walked the halls of Central High School.  He has not passed a single class in his four years there and seldom makes it through an entire hour of class without falling asleep or getting sent to the office.  His teachers consider him completely incorrigible.

Clues which appear in a series:
The dulcimer, fiddle, and banjo are all popular among the Appalachian Mountain people.

Clues provided by the tone and setting:
The streets filled instantly with bellicose protesters, who pushed and shoved their way through the frantic bystanders.  The scene was no longer peaceful and calm as the marchers had promised it would be.

Clues derived from cause and effect:
Since no one came to the first voluntary work session, attendance for the second one is mandatory for all the members.


  
adapted from Sebranek, P., Meyer, V. Basic English Revisited: A Student Handbook

Using Clues to Figure Out Meanings of Words

Guide for Students

Reread the sentence.  Look for ideas and words that offer meaning clues.

Read the two or three sentences that precede the one that contains the unfamiliar word(s).  Look for meaning clues (i.e., synonyms or antonyms).

Read the two or three sentences that come after the one that contains the unfamiliar word(s). Look for meaning clues (i.e., synonyms or antonyms


Ask yourself: Have I seen or heard this word in another text or situation?  What do I recall?

Questions asked in the FCAT Reading Reference and Research Subcategory

What information shows the author’s personal biases? (validity and reliability)

What suggestions does the author make to ___________________? (analyze and evaluate)

Which of these is an example of?  (analyze and evaluate information, classification)

According to the article, which question is correct? (validity and reliability)

From this article, the reader can tell that__________________ (conclusions and inferences)

According to the article, why _______________________________? (conclusions and inferences)

This information is important today because ______________________.  (validity and reliability)

What can you conclude about __________________________________ from reading both articles? (synthesizing information from multiple sources)

What was true of both individuals featured in these articles?  (compare)

Based on information from both articles, which of these conclusions is accurate? (synthesize information within text)  

Bloom's Taxonomy and Critical Thinking

To encourage critical reading skills, specifically Level II skills which make up 70% of the FCAT, design questions in your activities and assessments that target application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. You don't have to make this labor intensive for yourself. Just begin by using a few of these questions during class discussion. You can also design Think, Pair, Share using these questions. Add one or two onto your next quiz or test.....

Level 3: Application - solving problems by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different way. 
Key words: apply, build, choose, construct, develop, interview, make use of, organize, experiment with, plan, select, solve, utilize, model, identify

Questions:
How would you use . . . ?
What examples can you find to . . . ?
How would you solve _______ using what you have learned . . . ?
How would you organize _______ to show . . . ?
How would you show your understanding of . . . ?
What approach would you use to . . . ?
How would you apply what you learned to develop . . . ?
What other way would you plan to . . . ?
What would result if . . . ?
Can you make use of the facts to . . . ?
What elements would you choose to change . . . ?
What facts would you select to show . . . ?
What questions would you ask in an interview with . . . ?

Level 4: Analysis - examining and breaking information into parts by identifying motives or causes; making inferences and finding evidence to support generalizations. 


Key words: analyze, categorize, classify, compare, contrast, discover, dissect, divide, examine, inspect, simplify, survey, take part in, test for, distinguish, list, distinction, theme, relationships, function, motive, inference, assumption, conclusion

Questions:
What are the parts or features of . . . ?
How is _______ related to . . . ?
Why do you think . . . ?
What is the theme . . . ?
What motive is there . . . ?
Can you list the parts . . . ?
What inference can you make . . . ?
What conclusions can you draw . . . ?
How would you classify . . . ?
How would you categorize . . . ?
Can you identify the difference parts . . . ?
What evidence can you find . . . ?
What is the relationship between . . . ?
Can you make a distinction between . . . ?
What is the function of . . . ?
What ideas justify . . . ?

Level 5: Synthesis - compiling information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions. 


Key Words: build, choose, combine, compile, compose, construct, create, design, develop, estimate, formulate, imagine, invent, make up, originate, plan, predict, propose, solve, solution, suppose, discuss, modify, change, original, improve, adapt, minimize, maximize, delete, theorize, elaborate, test, improve, happen, change

Questions:
What changes would you make to solve . . . ?
How would you improve . . . ?
What would happen if . . . ?
Can you elaborate on the reason . . . ?
Can you propose an alternative . . . ?
Can you invent . . . ?
How would you adapt ________ to create a different . . . ?
How could you change (modify) the plot (plan) . . . ?
What could be done to minimize (maximize) . . . ?
What way would you design . . . ?
What could be combined to improve (change) . . . ?
Suppose you could _______ what would you do . . . ?
How would you test . . . ?
Can you formulate a theory for . . . ?
Can you predict the outcome if . . . ?
How would you estimate the results for . . . ?
What facts can you compile . . . ?
Can you construct a model that would change . . . ?
Can you think of an original way for the . . . ?

Level 6: Evaluation - presenting and defending opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas or quality of work based on a set of criteria.

Key Words: award, choose, conclude, criticize, decide, defend, determine, dispute, evaluate, judge, justify, measure, compare, mark, rate, recommend, rule on, select, agree, interpret, explain, appraise, prioritize, opinion, ,support, importance, criteria, prove, disprove, assess, influence, perceive, value, estimate, influence, deduct
Questions:
Do you agree with the actions . . . ? with the outcomes . . . ?
What is your opinion of . . . ?
How would you prove . . . ? disprove . . . ?
Can you assess the value or importance of . . . ?
Would it be better if . . . ?
Why did they (the character) choose . . . ?
What would you recommend . . . ?
How would you rate the . . . ?
What would you cite to defend the actions . . . ?
How would you evaluate . . . ?
How could you determine . . . ?
What choice would you have made . . . ?
What would you select . . . ?
How would you prioritize . . . ?
What judgment would you make about . . . ?
Based on what you know, how would you explain . . . ?
What information would you use to support the view . . . ?
How would you justify . . . ?
What data was used to make the conclusion . . . ?
Why was it better that . . . ?
How would you prioritize the facts . . . ?
How would you compare the ideas . . . ? people . . . ?

Key Concept Lesson

Key Concepts

What is it?

When students are given “dense” reading material, they often become frustrated and remark, “I read it, but I don’t get it!” or “I didn’t know what was important and what wasn’t.”  For many young readers, this frustration builds and they approach difficult texts feeling defeated before they even begin.  One strategy we can use is to provide a framework for the reading by creating a focus on the key concepts.  The process involves identifying the key concepts as they read, putting those concepts in their own words and explaining why the concept is important and/or making connections to other concepts.
What does it look like?
Using this strategy requires helping students to use a number of textual clues that will help them determine the key concepts in a reading.  Some elements that will aid students in the identification of key concepts are:

• Examining the text structure for any elements that the writer/publisher may have used to indicate major divisions in the subject matter (e.g. titles, subtitles, bold headings, and supportive graphics or visuals)
• Determining which sentence in a paragraph is the topic sentence; as texts get more sophisticated, students need to recognize that frequently it may not be the first sentence in the paragraph.
• Learning to identify statements that “forecast” main ideas or key concepts that will come at some point later on in the reading.
• Recognizing that transitions may sometimes help to identify a main idea or a possible shift in the writer’s thinking.  (e.g. when compared to, or another possibility is, or in contrast, etc.)
• Examining the summary statements in the paragraphs and/or the conclusions that summarize each section of the reading may help to verify and condense the main ideas or key concepts.
• Providing models and guided practice where students have opportunities to identify and explain the above elements is crucial.  Once students can understand and recognize these elements, provide them with sections of the current text they are reading and have them practice independently as preparation for the next class.  As students become more proficient in recognizing these elements as they read, a powerful addition is to have them identify these elements in their own writing.

Key Concept Lesson and Template

Three-Level Guide Synthesizing

Description:  A comprehension strategy which supports students to read the text closely by
providing a clear purpose and direction for reading.  Uses declarative statements which can
spring discussions and conversations about the content.

Focus Group:  Elementary- Adult

Major Focus:  Comprehension

Procedure:
 Three Levels:
  1.  Literal recognition- reading the lines
  2.  Interpretation- reading between the lines
  3.  Application- reading beyond the lines

 Select a text which:
  1.  Deals with issues which challenge students beyond the literal level
  2.  Reflects the main ideas and concepts covered in the unit of work
  3.  Uses rich language

 Creating a Three Level Guide
  1.  Begin construction of the guide at level 2, the interpretive level.
   - Ask:  "What does the author mean?"  Write down in your own words all inferences that make sense to you and that fit  your content objectives.  Statement should be simply and clearly written.

  2.  Search the text for the proposition and explicit pieces of information needed to
   support the inferences you have chosen for level 2. Put these into statement form (This is Level1)

  3.  Decide whether you want to add a distractor or two to levels 1 and 2.
   - Maintains an active response to the information search.

  4.  Develop statements for level 3, the applied level. Help students connect prior knowledge to what they read.

  5.  Be flexible and adaptive. Develop a format that will appeal to you and your students.


Adapted from Content Area Reading:Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum
 by Richard T. and Joanne L. Vacca

Sample for use in your classroom
article for the sample guide

Three Level Guide Sample

‘Bagging a ‘berg may solve water worries: scientist’

by Simon Grose, The Canberra Times (November 20, 2001)

Read the text and then look at the following statements.  Respond to the statements in each section. Tick if you agree, cross if you disagree.  Discuss your responses with others.

Level 1 Literal Statements

Does the text say this? What words support your answer?

___ Icebergs are worth a lot of money.

____ Australia is developing a system for bagging icebergs.

____ This technology is freely available to everyone.

___ Towing icebergs is no longer expensive.

___ Bagged icebergs provide pure fresh water.

Level 2 Interpretive Statements

Does the text give you this idea? What words and phrases support your answer?

_____ It is inexpensive to harvest an iceberg.

 _____ Icebergs will soon be used widely to supply water to dry regions of the world including     Australia.

______ Companies in Germany and America are developing this technology because their countries are running out of water.

______ Supplying water is a profitable business.

______ Icebergs have already been towed to Africa.

Level 3 Applied Statements

Do you agree with this? Why? Be prepared to share your reasons.

_____ We don’t need to conserve resources because technology will always overcome these concerns.

_____ Australia will greatly benefit from this new technology.

_____ Big companies are always looking for ways of helping

developing countries.

_____ Environmental problems can easily be solved by technology. .