reading, writing & social studies strategies to improve learning in social studies presented by:...

Reading, Writing & Social StudiesReading, Writing & Social StudiesStrategies to Improve Learning in Social Studies

Presented by:Dana Kelley Region 10 [email protected]

How Do You Currently Assign Reading in Your SS Classroom?

• Jot down some ideas on the post it notes provided.

• Discuss the ways you currently assign reading in your SS class.

• Share with the group.

• Are these assignments successful?

How Do You Currently Teach Reading in Your SS Classroom?

• Jot down some ideas on the post it notes provided.

• Discuss the ways you currently teach reading in your SS class.


• Are you successful?

Content Literacy

“Content Literacy is the ability to use reading and writing for the acquisition of new content in a given discipline.”

-McKenna & Robinson, 1990

Our Purpose

To help effectively engageengage students with difficult content through the use of reading and writing strategies.

Why is Reading So Important in Social Studies?

• 85 to 95 % of the content addressed in social studies comes from the textbook

• We need to build background knowledge

What do we read inSocial Studies?

• Newspapers, atlases, magazines, primary and secondary sources, and the internet provide readable, enjoyable content for the classroom

Why do our students have such a difficult time with these types of sources?

Digging Deeper: Read & Answer

• Review the text provided.

• Attempt to answer the questions.

• Discuss responses with your tablemates.

Gallagher, Kelly (2004). Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12.

Answers

4. You should bartle the fusho who has rarckled her parshtootoos after her humply fluflu.

How did you do?

1. There are tork gooboos of puzballs.

2. Laplies, mushos, and fushos are tork gooboos of puzballs.

3. They will not grunto any lipples.

Warning!

“If we simply assign reading instead of teaching students how to read, we’ll get poor reading.”


What Do Good Readers Do?

“Thoughtful, active, proficient readers are metacognitive;

they think about their own thinking during reading.”

Keene and Zimmerman, Mosaic of Thought

-----------------------------

We must help students learn to do this by assisting them in tracking their learning and thinking.

Students Need Scaffolding

Do your students read and not “get it”?

• Have I given the proper level of support to make meaning?

• Did I anticipate the needs of the students?

• Have I supported this challenging reading assignment?

Remember…

There is a big difference between assigning reading and teaching

reading. As their teacher, I am the determining factor when it comes to

how deeply my students will comprehend.


So what does “good” reading look

like?

Reading Comprehension Strategies

OrganizeKnowledge

MakePredictions & Inferences

Visualize

Find out the Meanings of Unknown Words

Ask Questions

Figure Out What isImportant

Activate Prior Knowledge and Set a Purpose for Reading

RespondTo the Ideas in the TextThink While You Read

To Keep Track of Whether Things Make SenseUse Fix-Up Strategies

When Things Don’t Make Sense

The TAKS Connection

Grades 3-8 TAKS ReadingObjective 1

Basic understanding of texts

Objective 2Knowledge of literary elements to understand texts

Objective 3 Use of strategies to analyze texts

Objective 4 Application of critical thinking skills to analyze texts

Grades 9-11 TAKS Reading

Objective 1 Basic understanding of texts

Objective 2 Knowledge of literary elements to

understand texts

Objective 3Ability to analyze an critically evaluate texts and visual representations

Overall TAKS Social Studies ObjectivesObjective 1

Issues & Events in history

Objective 2 Geographic influences on history

Objective 3 Economic & social influences on history

Objective 4 Political influences on history

Objective 5 Critical thinking skills in Social Studies

What Type of Reading Do We Do in Social

Studies?

Types of Selections

• Mostly expository

• Sometimes literary

• Lots of maps, charts, graphs, cartoons, graphic organizers, visuals

• Hopefully, documents, letters, biographies, news articles (past and present), etc.

Reading & ELA TAKS contain three selections called a triplet:

• One is a published expository selection

• One is a published literary selection

• One is a one-page visual – all are related by a common theme or idea

Alignment with Reading & ELA

What is Expository Text?• Text written to inform, explain, describe,

or to persuade. • Text that is subject-oriented and contains

facts and information using little dialogue (Tonjes, Wolpow, and Zintz, 1999).

• The structure of expository text is dependent upon the form or genre (letter, journal entry, newspaper article, an editorial, a brochure, a map, etc).

Types of Expository Text

Advertisements, autobiographies, biographies, book reports, brochures, campaign speeches, cartoons, catalogues, comics, complaints, definitions, directions, editorials, instructions, interviews, invitations, journals, lab reports, letters, lists, maps, menus, etc. Highlight the sources you use

most often in your class.

Make Sure Your Scaffolding Activities Match

• Description• Definition • Process (collection, time order, or

listing)• Comparison• Classification• Analysis• Persuasion

Students MUST have the code!

Seven Structures of Expository Text

• Description• Definition • Process (collection, time order, or

listing)• Comparison• Classification• Analysis• Persuasion

Use the sample reading on your desk. Identify the structure

used in the selection.What does this mean for

instruction?

1. Definition

Definition Text Structure

Unalienable rightA right that cannot be taken away without due process.

2. Description

Description Text Structure

3. Process

Process Text Structure

4. Classification

Classification Text Structure

5. Comparison

Comparison Text Structure

6. AnalysisAnalysis Text Structure

Over-production

Uneven Dist.of Wealth

High Tariffs

Under-consumption

Not Enough Money

in Circulation

EuropeanCountriesCan’t Pay

7. Persuasion

Persuasion Text Structure

Slavery in the U.S.

Northern View

Southern View

Western View

Pencils Down!Analyze the following

image.You will be asked to reproduce

this in a moment…

You have one minute to draw!

17766024365411

Write the number from memory!

What generalizations can you draw from this experience?

Make sure your organizers and

methods of analysis fit the structure…

Students must have the code!

A Guide Through Expository Text:

Strategy 1: Understanding Text Structure in Social Studies

Use the Chapter Tour Approach to Follow the Reading Process

Don’t miss any steps, or comprehension will suffer!

The Reading ProcessStep 1: Before Reading - Preactive

– Establish a purpose– Preview– Plan

Step 2: During Reading - Interactive– Read with a purpose– Connect

Step 3: After Reading –Reflective– Pause and reflect– Reread– Remember

Chapter Tour

• When you take a tour of a museum the guide helps you to focus on what is interesting or important.

• Talk the students through the chapter. Provide enough direction and background so they can learn what is important in the reading.

Chapter Tour

• Students are encouraged to look at the chapter to see the “big picture” first before tackling the details.

• Students are conditioned to make more systematic use of reader aids provided within a chapter.

Chapter Tour

Take special notice of ways the chapter forecasts organizational structure:– Cause and Effect– Compare and Contrast– Concept and Definition– Problem and Solution

Use Use appropriate appropriate organizers!organizers!

Chapter Tour

Take special notice of ways the chapter signals key themes, concepts, and ideas:– Change– Crisis– Progress

Chapter Tour

Variation:

Allow students to work with a partner to complete a chapter tour and verbalize what they are discovering about the topic or chapter organization.

Chapter Tour• Pre-reading Preview

• During Reading Notes

• Post-reading Reflection

Pre-reading Preview• Choose one of the chapters in the

textbook• Fill out the pre-reading preview portion of

the handout• Set your purpose (or assign it to students)• Variation: Turn topic headings into

questions and fill in the details during reading

During Reading Notes • Just the key details that will fit in the

limited space provided• Bullets!• Show the relationship to the preview

topics or questions• Be concise…if it isn’t important, leave it

out – we’re not rewriting the text, we’re organizing key info and personal insights!

After Reading Reflection • Pose an open-ended question to

students based on the reading• Require that students use text-

evidence to answer the open-ended question

• Discuss student answers and debate differences of opinion (with evidence only)

Let’s Consult the Experts…

Open-ended questions focus on students' understanding, their ability to reason, and

their ability to apply knowledge in less traditional contexts.

Such questions can communicate levels of student achievement more clearly than multiple-choice items and give better

guidance for instruction.Badger, Elizabeth & Thomas, Brenda, 1992Badger, Elizabeth & Thomas, Brenda, 1992

Writing in Social Studies

• Open-ended questions assist us in working toward success on document-based questions for AP level work, for real life

• DBQs offer an authentic way for students to study multiple perspectives, strands, sources in one focused fashion

Open Ended Questions…• focus on students' understanding• student ability to reason• student ability to apply knowledge in

less traditional contexts• can communicate levels of student

achievement more clearly than multiple-choice items and give better guidance for instruction.

TAKS Open-Ended Questions

0 – 0 – InsufficientInsufficient: Unreasonable Answer: Unreasonable Answer1 – 1 – Partially SufficientPartially Sufficient: Reasonable answer,: Reasonable answer, no text supportno text support2 – 2 – SufficientSufficient: Reasonable answer, text : Reasonable answer, text supportsupport3 – 3 – ExemplaryExemplary: Reasonable answer, : Reasonable answer, text support, personal insighttext support, personal insight

How are we doing?

0 1 2 3

Literary 5 52 42 0

Expository 20 68 12 0

Crossover 24 54 22 0

2005 Statewide Summary available at www.tea.state.tx.us

How are we doing?

0 1 2 3

Literary 12 63 25 0




How are we doing?

0 1 2 3

Literary 10 52 37 0




Notes from Victoria Young’s Presentation - 8/22/04

(Student Assessment, TEA)

The high school problem with open-ended questions is actually a middle-grade problem…

Practice early and often!Practice early and often!

• Direct quotation – use accurate and relevant text from the passage• Paraphrase – restate relevant text in your own words• Specific synopsis --list specific events that focus on what the question is asking --condense large segments into a brief statement focused on what the question asks

ELA Connection: Appropriate Text Evidence

Your Open-Ended Question:

Which age of slavery has had the greatest impact on the

course of history?

Using Literature in Social Studies

Strategy 2: Using Literary Elements & Analyzing Texts

Literary Texts

• Help students understand the human experience across time and place.

• Help students read between and beyond the lines.

• Assist students in understanding figurative language, style, irony, point of view, and themes.

• Help students make a personal connection and build background.

Literary Texts“Literature can become the lens throughwhich content is viewed. This lens holds the young reader’s attention while connecting content with the variety of human experiences.”

(Smith & Johnson, 1994)

– Fiction can help bring historical figures alive – Fiction allows students to explore the reality of life,

culture, and society in a given historical period. – Fiction helps to nurture student creativity and

imagination, leading to higher level thinking skills.

Literary TextsThe benefits of using literature in social studies:• Reading increases vocabulary, including content-

specific terms• Literature is often more up-to-date than textbooks• Trade books may be more appealing than

textbooks• Literature goes beyond the facts• Literature allows readers to experience other

times, other places, other people, and other cultures with empathy

• Literature can be a powerful catalyst for thoughtful analysis and critical thinking

Alverman and Phelps (1998)

Literary Texts• Choose carefully to reflect a variety of

backgrounds, points of view, and experiences

• Choose selections that are relevant to the subject and real life

• Choose selections that help students fill in the gaps

• Choose selections that help make the learning personal

Resources for Literary Selections

University of Virginia E-Text Centerhttp://etext.lib.virginia.edu/modeng/modengH.browse.html

Social Studies Center Website – annotated bibliographieswww.tea.state.tx.us/ssc

African American Writers: Online E-Textshttp://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/afroonline.htm

Antislavery Literaturehttp://antislavery.eserver.org

Gilder Lehrman Institute of American Historyhttp://www.gilderlehrman.org

Read the Literary Piece

• Highlight the key words in the reading

• Circle words you do not understand

• Complete the 3-2-1 summary provided at the bottom of the page

A pioneering journalist, author of fiction and poetry, and a professional lecturer, Frances Harper has had a remarkable life. Active in abolitionism, suffrage, and the temperance

movement, she lived long enough to see her efforts rewarded. She gets credit for

introducing the tradition of African American protest poetry. Famous during her lifetime,

Harper used her prestige and writings to fight racism and also make strong feminist

statements.

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper (1825-1911)

3-2-1 Summary Strategy• Versatile & quick

• Use it for oral, artistic, or written summarization

• Great for differentiating

3-2-1 Summary Strategy• Students write the numerals 3, 2, and 1

down the left side of the paper• Leave a few lines in between each• Post and announce prompts for each:

– Write 3 of something– Write 2 of something– Write 1 of something

3-2-1 Summary StrategyBenefits• Allows for various levels of learning

to be covered• Assists students in identifying and

summarizing key info they’ve learned• Make one item task more difficult

than the others

Understanding Images & Anchoring Content:

Graphic Notes

Strategy 3: Analyzing Visual Representations

Graphic NotesGraphic Notes help students manage difficult text so that meaningful learning may occur:1. Choose a visual anchor for the content

2. Draw arrows to characteristics that you wish to emphasize

3. Have students use the text, literature, documents, or other readings to fill in notes

2. Ask a question:1. Make a Prediction:

3. Clarify something:

4. Make a comment:

5. Make a Connection:

“…A hunger strike at the California headquarters of Taco Bell…A penny more per taco could translate into twice what pickers earn for tomatoes.”

National Geographic, September 2003

Other Variations

Location:Issue:

Economic & SocialFactors:

Political Factors:

Time/Era:

Who? Where? When?

How?What?

Graphic NotesGraphic Notes can help engage struggling students:– The format is visual– The requested text is shortened– Connections are made from the visual to the

text– Weaknesses in language development are

minimized– Weaknesses in organization are minimized

Steps to Using Graphic Notes

• Preview the chapter or section of your reading

• Choose an image that is central to the topic

• Choose 4 areas of emphasis (may be subtopics)

• Jot down key ideas under each heading

Solving the Mystery of the Blank Essay

Question

Literary Selection Expository Selection Viewing Selection

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Focus Question: __________________________________Focus Question: __________________________________

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Literary Selection Expository Selection Viewing Selection

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Focus Question: Focus Question: It is often said that history repeats itself. Do you It is often said that history repeats itself. Do you feel this is true based on the sources presented? feel this is true based on the sources presented?

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Details____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Crossover Question Open Ended Response 8 lines

___ _________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

Writing in the Real World

“Writing gives students a chance to practice inferring, communicating, symbolizing, organizing, interpreting, linking, explaining, planning, reflecting, and acting.” Countryman, J. (1992). Writing to Learn Mathematics. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Another Writing Option for SS:

Mini Document Based Questions

What?Document-Based Questions require students to do the work of social scientists and historians. The materials of social scientists are the “stuff” of the DBQ. Documents may include: • graphs • charts • maps • cartoons • photographs • artwork • eyewitness accounts • historical passages

Where?There are many sources for documents including:

• Textbook test creators• Primary source readers and websites• Archives and museums • The internet• Newspapers• Magazines

When & How?When preparing DBQs work progressively: • younger students generally work with fewer documents • more experienced students generally work with more

documents and engage in higher level analytical skills and more complex tasks

• It is imperative that students examine visual sources: charts, graphs, cartoons, photos - include two to three visuals

• Passage length is important. Readings should not be wordy or lengthy - if the passage is longer than one-third of a page, it probably needs to be shortened

• Where vocabulary is difficult, dated, or colloquial provide “adaptations” and parenthetical context clues.

Tips from NY State Regents exam: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/dbq/iitwo.html

How?The best DBQs center on issues.

Examples: • compare/contrast • illustrate similarities and differences • illustrate bias or point of view • describe change over time • discuss issues categorically: socially,

economically, politically • explain causes and effects of historic events • examine contending perspectives on an issue


How should the question be written?

• Always ensure quality of all visuals - must be clear, clean, readable.

• Begin the DBQ by stating directions.• Next state Historical Context - represents the theme

of the DBQ as it applies to a specific time and place in history

• State the task - directs students to: – write the essay – interpret and weave most of the documents into

the body – incorporate outside information – write a strong introduction and conclusion


How Can We Scaffold? Scaffolding questions are key questions included after each

document in the DBQ.

• They lead students to think about the answer they will write • Provide information that will help students answer the main

essay question

Good scaffolding questions: • are clear and specific • contain information in the stimulus providing a definite

answer to the question • There is at least one scaffolding question for each document.

However, if a document provides opposing perspectives or contains multiple points, two questions are appropriate.


The Importance of Using Documents to Study History

“Document based questions (DBQs) are a major focus in schools today. To be answered correctly, students must be adept at analyzing and synthesizing the information provided. They must be able to write coherent and logical essays.”

Paula Goldstein, Nassau BOCES - http://www.nassauboces.org

Examples:

Release NY Regents Exams:

www.nysedregents.org/testing/hsregents.html

• Follow the format discussed to create either an question using the triplet strategy or the mini DBQ template.• Follow the steps provided and modify it to fit your grade level and student needs.• Choose an appropriate topic for use in this last six weeks.• Make a list of materials you will need to implementthis learning experience in your classroom

Share with the group….

Application Time

How Will I Assign and Teach Reading in Your SS Classroom?

• Make changes to the ideas you wrote on the post it notes earlier.

• Discuss changes you will make in your assignment and teaching of reading in your SS class.


Using Literature & Primary Sources in Social Studies

Annotated Bibliographies are available:• For all grade levels• Support the TEKS• Social Studies Center Website

http://tea.state.tx.us/socialstudies• Go to bibliographies and click on your

grade level.

Resources

• Region 10 ESC – Social Studies

www.ednet10.net/socialstudies

• Region 13 ESC – Social Studies

www.esc13.net/socialstudies

• Making Sense in Social Studies

www.readingquest.org

For Additional Information & For Additional Information & Downloads:Downloads:Visit www.ednet10.net/socialstudies and click on Downloads, or contact:

Dana Kelley

Region 10 ESC

[email protected]

972-348-1148

reading, writing & social studies strategies to improve learning in social studies presented by:...

Documents

deeper reading

teaching reading

use of reading

good reading

assigning reading

poor reading

challenging reading

background knowledge