RED 4350
Strategy Presentations
STRATEGY NAME: MEETING OF THE MINDS
McLaughlin, M. (2010). Content Area Reading: Teaching and Learning in an Age of Multiple Literacies.
N.Y: Pearson.
Presented by: Juana Rosado
Reading Target: Comprehension
Use:
____Before Reading
____During Reading
_X_ After Reading
Explain the Strategy:
Students use the Meeting of the Minds technique, is a comprehension strategy that teaches them
to act out the opposing views of two or more characters in an oral debate or interview format. As
students read various texts they assume the role of the characters and respond to questions in
character. Through Meeting of the Minds students learn comprehension strategies in a variety of
settings using multiple levels and types of text. This technique uses the evaluating strategy by
means of a debate format between two characters that have differing viewpoints on a topic or
situation. The host is another student who directs questions to the participants, with the intent of
putting participants against one another in a debate about a particular topic. Teachers can use a
checklist or a rubric to assess or evaluate the project.
Student Practice:
1. Students will be given a “Meeting of the Minds” chart.
2. Students will be given the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”
3.As students read to story they should think about the different points of view of the wolf and
pigs as they read the story.
3. Have students fill in the chart columns with “pigs” and “wolf.” Ask students to imagine the
three little pigs and the wolf having a debate about the incidents in the story. Have students come
up with questions that the host could ask the characters. Write the questions in the chart.
Demonstrating the strategy
 Have students act as the wolf and the pigs in the story. There should also be a host to ask
the questions.
 Have the host ask questions and have each character respond.
 Students should “become” the character and answer the question as the character would.
How will you have students reflect? :
Students will be asked to reflect on the meeting of the minds technique by answering the
following questions:
How did it help you understand the characters?
What did you like and dislike about the debate?
Did it help you better understand the story?
RED 4350
Strategy Presentations
The Three Little Pigs
Once upon a time there were three little pigs. One pig built a house of straw while the second pig
built his house with sticks. They built their houses very quickly and then sang and danced all day
because they were lazy. The third little pig worked hard all day and built his house with bricks.
A big bad wolf saw the two little pigs while they danced and played and thought, “What juicy
tender meals they will make!” He chased the two pigs and they ran and hid in their houses. The
big bad wolf went to the first house and huffed and puffed and blew the house down in minutes.
The frightened little pig ran to the second pig’s house that was made of sticks. The big bad wolf
now came to this house and huffed and puffed and blew the house down in hardly any time.
Now, the two little pigs were terrified and ran to the third pig’s house that was made of bricks.
The big bad wolf tried to huff and puff and blow the house down, but he could not. He kept
trying for hours but the house was very strong and the little pigs were safe inside. He tried to
enter through the chimney but the third little pig boiled a big pot of water and kept it below the
chimney. The wolf fell into it and died.
The two little pigs now felt sorry for having been so lazy. They too built their houses with bricks
and lived happily ever after.
RED 4350
Strategy Presentations
Name: _______________________________
Date: ______________________
Meeting of the Minds Chart
Questions
Character 1: ______
Responses
Character 2: ________