Strategies+or+examples+of+how+to+teach+nonfiction

Strategies and examples of how to teach nonfiction

If we want students to read the world and expository texts, they must be taught the necessary skills. Scaffolded instruction and gradual release of responsibility encompasses the model that guides students to become critical thinkers within their world. According to Palmer and Steward, there are three models of teaching nonfiction. All three models are steps toward student independence with taking a critical view of information. 1. Teacher directed instruction (Palmer, 428) 2. Scaffolded student investigation 3. Independent student investigation

Exposure and immersion in nonfiction includes providing students with meaningful activities as presentation tools. Valuable, differentiated activities... BOLD ACTIVITIES to discuss with more detail during paper KWL charts research projects graphic organizers lessons on components of nonfiction Chapter 9 in Reading to Learn Across Content Areas discusses these activities 3-2-1 chart Idea circles--peer led discussions (Moss, 52) Quick writes Read alouds Scholastic, Weekly Reader, Mailbox, Discovery.com Reader's Theatre
 * Podcasts and other technology**
 * Learning logs-- notebooks to record/informational writing activity (Moss, 52)**
 * lessons/Activities of nonfiction--main idea, details, determining importance**

Vocabulary Development http://academic.cengage.com/education/richardson (Vocabulary Intervention) Reading to Learn in the Content Areas Graphic Organizers (299) Cloze Procedures Word Inventories Strategies for Reading Online (296)

Palmer and Stewart (2003) discuss the importance of finding age appropriate materials for students and cited a classroom teacher who collected 17 nonfiction books for her 3rd graders, but a majority of those books were of 4th and 5th grade reading level.

Students need access to trade books Motivating projects--choice (diorama, poster,etc)

Teachers need to collaborate and form partnerships

__Weaving Reader's Theater into Science__ (Rasinski, 2003, pg.115) "Reader's theater can be used in any content area." Rasinski (2003) uses an example from Ken Beuther, a middle school science teacher with a reading background. Beuther will write scripts that will "summarize and extend" (Rasinski, 2003, pg. 115) what he has recently taught. A script that Beuther wrote, called "The Adventures of Cell Boy" - a story about plant biology. Another teacher Rasinski writes about is a fifth grade teacher who used the solar system as a way to create a Reader's Theatre performance for his students. Each planet was a main character. All the performances were done several times and each student loved to do them. (Rasinski, 2003, pg. 115) Rasinski (2003) also suggests that students can create their own scripts about particular content topics.

Ask high level thinking questions - use questions that start, "Why do you think..." "What do you think.." or "Have you ever..." Questions can be student generated Hands on experiences with nonfiction - example used in article - Butterfly study Reading-Writing connections - newspaper articles or press releases, write letters to the editor, put together a newspaper Interactive read-alouds Interest groups Purposeful writing - create brochures, posters Innovations - use current text and create a new one - example Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Mrs. Morlock's Class, Mrs. Morlock's Class, What Do You See? Shared Readings Compare and Contrast two different... Write a poem Create a journal entry as if you were the person, place or thing being discussed PowerPoint Presentations