This is where students soar and take off. Provided below are strategies to implement while reading the content assigned. These strategies will help students stay organized with their thoughts, sort through information and determine what is relevant, and conceptualize and process what they are reading.
Activity #1 Character and Response Journals
Journals are a major asset and give students the opportunity to express themselves through in-depth reflections while allowing their creative imaginations to prosper. Response journals allow students to be more informal and really think on what they have read. Character journals, a subcategory of response journals, allow the student to get into the mindset or perspective of characters and really delve into their explicit thoughts, feelings, and actions. For journaling, you can either have students work on them in actual written out notebooks and allow for pictures, coloring, or creative aspects or they can do it digitally and it can either be super informal or more informal.
After having introduced the novel or content to the student, explain what creating a journal should look like and what it is.
Next, have students take out a piece of paper and explain that they will be doing their first journal assignment in class to get the hang of it.
Next, assign them a character or a situation. For my specific content, I would assign them a character from the novel like Nick Carraway or Daisy Buchanan and have them write from that character's perspective. I would ask them to be creative and ask them to really apply what they have learned throughout the novel to assist them.
I would give them the freedom to write what they please but it has to be in the perspective of the character that was assigned and had to be related to the time period, nothing inappropriate.
Next, I would ask them to turn in this journal entry at the end of the class for a grade. I would grade for grammar, spelling, creativeness, and using specific details from the novel.
ESE/ ELL Accommodations
Allowing the student to construct the journal entry via a drawing or a chart. Whatever way they can understand.
Allowing the student to write in their native language
Having a read to text program or larger font for students who have visual impairments.
Personalized writing tools for students with physical impairments.
Here is an example of a character journal, just typed up in word.
Activity #2 Anticipation Guide
This activity helps students pace themselves while simultaneously engaging in critical thoughts. It allows them to make guesses or assumptions while answering questions about a brand new text that is unfamiliar to them. It allows students to make notes and learn from these notes, correcting previous mistakes made about incorrect predictions. Correcting mistakes is a great process that helps ingrain the information in their brain.
First, I would hand out an anticipation guide, with 4 prediction statements on it.
Next, I would ask students to respond to those statements about the novel by checking the A column for agree and the D column for disagree. I would have them do this before fully reading the novel and then again after the completing the novel.
This activity is perfect for during reading because it allows students to make predictions and then go back and see if they were on track and correct it to the right answer after reading.
This activity could be used for an extra study guide for the future assessments.
ESE/ELL Accommodations
ELL students may need directions explained again and to explain the concept of an anticipation guide again.
ELL's can have a print out in their native language and complete that so that they are still conceptualizing the activity
Students with visual impairments can have the assignment in a larger font.
Here is an example of the anticipation guide I would hand out and what it would like if a student completed it.
First, I would hand out an anticipation guide, with 4 prediction statements on it.
Next, I would ask students to respond to those statements about the novel by checking the A column for agree and the D column for disagree. I would have them do this before fully reading the novel and then again after the completing the novel.
This activity is perfect for during reading because it allows students to make predictions and then go back and see if they were on track and correct it to the right answer after reading.
This activity could be used for an extra study guide for the future assessments.
ESE/ELL Accommodations
ELL students may need directions explained again and to explain the concept of an anticipation guide again.
ELL's can have a print out in their native language and complete that so that they are still conceptualizing the activity
Students with visual impairments can have the assignment in a larger font.
Here is an example of the anticipation guide I would hand out and what it would like if a student completed it.
Activity #3 Discussion Web
This activity really assists students to organize information and form conclusions on what they have gathered. This activity allows for a student to see relevant versus irrelevant information, compare and contrast two points, and see multiple sides of a story. For my example, I talk about if the green light represents anything and if it is symbolic. As they fill this out, it adds to their knowledge and they can place this in their notes to further help them analyze main ideas and concepts.
First, prepare students and get them motivated by activating prior knowledge on what they have already read about the text.
Next, explain the directions on how to do a discussion web and show an example. For my example, I would ask students: "As you read the novel think about the question 'Does the green light symbolize anything?' On the web you will see columns marked 'Yes' and 'No', when you find information that supports one of those answers write it there. At the end, make a conclusion.
ESE/ ELL Accommodations
Provide the discussion web in all the languages that are needed for your specific class. Give the ELL student both the English and their language copy.
Team ELL students with other students in class and have them assist one another.
Give visually impaired students larger texts.
Here is an example of a filled out discussion web as a student.
First, prepare students and get them motivated by activating prior knowledge on what they have already read about the text.
Next, explain the directions on how to do a discussion web and show an example. For my example, I would ask students: "As you read the novel think about the question 'Does the green light symbolize anything?' On the web you will see columns marked 'Yes' and 'No', when you find information that supports one of those answers write it there. At the end, make a conclusion.
ESE/ ELL Accommodations
Provide the discussion web in all the languages that are needed for your specific class. Give the ELL student both the English and their language copy.
Team ELL students with other students in class and have them assist one another.
Give visually impaired students larger texts.
Here is an example of a filled out discussion web as a student.
Activity #4 Sticky Notes
This activity is fun for every student and you can use different colors to keep the creativity flowing. For this activity, allow students to use sticky notes to write thoughts, notes, questions, vocab to remember, etc. and then let them stick it to the page, since they cannot write in the the text. This is a great way to keep students actively engaged DURING reading and to critically think.
First hand out half a stack of sticky notes to each student.
Next, explain that they will use these sticky notes during reading to write down important information, questions they have, words they don't know, etc. and then they will stick it on the page where the word is located.
Allow each student to do this in their personal copy and keep while they are reading to help for study purposes later.
ESE/ ELL Accommodations
Allow students to work with a partner to help them better understand the task.
Allow larger print versions of the text or paper versions of the text to be distributed for students with impairments.
Try to find the text in the students native language.
Here is an example of some sticky notes that could be placed in the novel
First hand out half a stack of sticky notes to each student.
Next, explain that they will use these sticky notes during reading to write down important information, questions they have, words they don't know, etc. and then they will stick it on the page where the word is located.
Allow each student to do this in their personal copy and keep while they are reading to help for study purposes later.
ESE/ ELL Accommodations
Allow students to work with a partner to help them better understand the task.
Allow larger print versions of the text or paper versions of the text to be distributed for students with impairments.
Try to find the text in the students native language.
Here is an example of some sticky notes that could be placed in the novel