EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts EDR 211 READING IN THE CONTENT AREAS PART II LEARNING WITH TEXTBOOKS, TRADE BOOKS, AND ELECTRONIC TEXTS (Modules 4-6) Texts and textbooks are an important part of the classroom context. In any discussion of reading and writing in the content classroom, the three-way relationship among teacher, student, and text must be considered. STUDY GUIDE (November 30 -January 12, 2007) Prepared by Nemah N. Hermosa Faculty-in-Charge, EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-2008 This is the Study Guide for Part II of EDR 211. Each of Modules 4-6 have the following parts: 1. Organizing Principle 2. Objectives 3. Underlying Concepts 4. Resources 5. Study Questions Part II also includes the guides for or descriptions of the following instructional and assessment activities: 1. Discussion Forum 2 2. TMA2 (Graphic Organizers: Analyzing Text Structure) 3. TMA3 (WebQuest and WQ Report) 4. Quiz 2 NB: If you wish to print a copy of this file, use A4-sized paper. Page 1 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts MODULE 4: TEXT ORGANIZATION AND STRUCTURE: NARRATIVE AND EXPOSITORY TEXTS ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE The way writers tie ideas together in a passage is one of the most important factors affecting text difficulty. Therefore, students have to understand the internal organization of both narrative and expository texts, and be able to figure out cues or patterns in texts to help them comprehend what they are reading. Looking for and using text structure helps students to study texts in order to make connections and think more deeply about ideas encountered during reading. OBJECTIVES After studying this module, you should be able to: Understand the different elements of text structure, both narrative and expository. Illustrate the features of narrative and expository texts through a graphic organizer. Explain the relationship of text structure to reading comprehension Be aware of ways to teach students to read texts strategically for reading comprehension. UNDERLYING CONCEPTS Written materials are not alike in content, structure, or purpose. Readers’ ability to comprehend different text types is in part related to their knowledge of text structure, that is, how the author constructed and organized the material. Different types of texts fall in two broad categories, narrative and expository. Students have to be able to understand a variety of texts with the most common being stories, especially in the lower grades, and subject matter textbooks that become increasingly difficult and important to their success in higher grades. Students who struggle to understand what they read often do not have sufficient awareness of the way written materials are organized or the cues to look for to figure out patterns in text. These problems complicate their reading comprehension efforts. Therefore, it is important that instruction in reading comprehension includes explicit instruction in text structure. One such activity is text analysis. Performing text analysis can be done more strategically with the use of graphic organizers. RESOURCES (to be uploaded or linked to Moodle) Main Resources: Resource 1: Preview – Understanding Text Structure Resource 2: Module 10 of EDR 201 Page 2 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts Resource 3: Analyzing Text to Enable Comprehension: Narrative Structures http://itc.gsu.edu/academymodules/a305/lesson/lesson_2/a305c2_50100.html Resource 4: Analyzing Text to Enable Comprehension: Expository Structures http://itc.gsu.edu/academymodules/a305/lesson/lesson_3/a305c3_50100.html Resource 5: WWW sites on graphic organizers The Graphic Organizer Home Page, http://www.graphic.org/ SCORE Grid – Graphic Organizers, http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/actbank/torganiz.htm Visual Learning, http://www.inspiration.com/vlearning/index.cfm Reading Skills Toolbox, http://www-tcall.tamu.edu/toolkit/ch05.htm Optional Resource: Pearson, D.P. & Camperell, K (2004). Comprehension of text structures, in Reading Research Handbook. International Reading Association, pp. 450-468. (Note: This is the 2nd to the last entry in the EDR 211 Course Reader) STUDY QUESTIONS As you study the resources in Module 4, be guided by the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. How is internal text structure different from external text structure? What are the main elements or features of narrative texts? Of expository texts? What cues and linguistic signals within texts can help readers understand their pattern or structure? What are graphic organizers? How can a teacher visually show the main features of text through visual representation? How do they help students make connections among important ideas? What is the relationship of knowledge of text structures to reading comprehension? MODULE 5: ASSESSING TEXT DIFFICULTY ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE There are other factors that affect text difficulty, in addition to its structure or organization. The level of difficulty of writing (readability) is never easy to assess, and should be guided by this principle: The difficulty of text material is the result of factors residing in both the reader and the text. OBJECTIVES After studying Module 5, you should be able to: Define readability and describe the factors that affect text difficulty; Know some measures to assess text difficulty; and Understand that readability has to consider factors emanating from both reader and text. Page 3 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts UNDERLYING CONCEPTS Evaluating texts and assessing students’ interactions with texts are crucial tasks for content teachers and students—and they call for sound judgment and decision making. Teachers must approach text assessment in much the same manner as they make decisions about other aspects of content area instruction. Assessment of text difficulty that relies on a single source or perspective suffers. Teachers must therefore consider multiple sources of evidence. These include: 1) publisher-provided descriptions of the design, format, and organizational structure of the textbook along with grade-level readability designations; 2) the teacher’s acquired knowledge of and interactions with the students in the class; 3) the teacher’s sense of what makes the textbook a useful tool; 4) students’ perspectives. To complement the teacher’s professional judgment, several procedures can provide useful information. Readability formulas, cloze procedure, readability checklists, and book leveling measures can be used to help the teacher make decisions about a text’s appropriateness to students in content area classrooms. RESOURCES (to be uploaded or linked to Moodle) Main Resources: Hermosa, N. (1997, 2005). Module 11: Readability. In The Psychology of Reading. UP Open University Diaz, L. (2007). A closer look at assessing text assessment and comprehension. In The RAP Journal, vol xxx Oct 2007, pp. 18-23. Optional Resources: Links to sites on readability/leveling books STUDY QUESTIONS As you study the resources in Module 5, be guided by the following questions: 1. 2. 3. 4. What are some factors to consider in evaluating textbooks for use in one’s content subject? When and how might teachers use professional judgment in analyzing the difficulty of textbooks? What are some predictive measures of readability, and how do they differ from performance measures? What is the importance of text assessment in content area instruction? ACTIVITIES FOR MODULES 4-5 Participate in Discussion Forum 2A after you have studied Module 4, and in Discussion Forum 2B after you have studied Module 5. Refer to EDR 211 Course Guide for DF participation guidelines. Page 4 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts Discussion Forum 2A Guide Question: Choose one text analysis activity that you did in TMA2 (either for narrative or for the expository text) to share with your discussion group. Discuss difficulties you encountered, if any. Also discuss how the graphic organizer you developed can help readers understand the text that you analyzed. Discussion Forum 2B Guide Question: Before studying Module 5, what were your bases for choosing texts to use in your class? What insights have you gained from the module that have improved your ability to assess text difficulty? Give a specific example of how you will apply the new knowledge. Tutor-Marked Assignment 2 (TMA2) Graphic Organizers: Analyzing Narrative and Expository Texts The TMA2 Activity Guide will be uploaded as a separate file on Moodle. The deadline for submission is December 22, 2007. Refer to the EDR 211 Course Guide for submission guidelines. MODULE 6: TRADE BOOKS AND ELECTRONIC TEXTS ORGANIZING PRINCIPLE In today’s rapidly changing classrooms, textbooks by themselves are not enough. Students need access to a range of reading materials. There is a wide variety of children’s literature (nonfiction, fiction, poetry, etc.) as well as engaging and highly interactive digitally created texts that a content teacher can make use of in teaching subject matter. Instructional practices involving the use of trade books and electronic texts in content areas help to extend and enrich the curriculum. OBJECTIVES After studying this module, you should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of some of the problems associated with textbooks when used by teachers as a sole resource; Show how trade books can be used effectively to enhance content learning; Appreciate how children's literature can enhance the teaching of sophisticated content; Become aware of and appreciate the richness of resources in the Internet and how they can be used to engage readers in learning new and related content; Gain an appreciation of the changing role of the teacher when trade books and electronic texts are used in the content areas. UNDERLYING CONCEPTS Textbooks are essential classroom tools, acting as blueprint for learning in particular content areas. However, because of their comprehensive and encyclopedic nature, most textbooks do not treat subject matter with the breadth and depth needed to fully develop ideas and concepts. are one resource for teaching. Page 5 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts Trade books, rich in narrative and informational content, offer students a variety of interesting and relevant experiences with text and can be used effectively to enhance content learning. They can provide an effective complement to textbooks in virtually any subject. The best trade books overcome many of the limitations of content area texts. They provide depth, considerate and accurate information, material at a variety of reading levels, and motivation for learning. Advances in information and communication technologies (ICTs) are creating “new” literacies and new ways of learning today. Electronic texts are becoming an integral part of the classroom. Internet websites also provide content teachers with a rich source of informational text that can enhance and enrich the curriculum. RESOURCES (to be uploaded or linked to Moodle) Main Resources: Hermosa, N. (2007). Using literature in content area teaching. (unpublished paper/slide presentation). Hermosa, N. (2006). ICT applications in the language/literacy classroom. In The RAP Journal, vol. xix, October, 2006 March, T. (2007). Working the Web for Education: Theory and practice in integrating the Web for education. Retrieved 12/8/07 from http://tommarch.com/writings/theory.php and http://www.web-andflow.com/help/formats.asp Snyder, I. (2007). New literacies for the 21st century: From page to screen. Retrieved 12/8/07 from http://wwwfp.education.tas.gov.au/English/Snyder.htm For the WebQuest Activity: Dodge, B. (2007). A WebQuest About WebQuests: Middle School Version. Retrieved 12/8/07 from http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest-ms.html Civil War Journal: http://coe.west.asu.edu/students/hcarter/webquest.htm The Problem with Landfills: http://www.webquest.org/questgarden/lessons/25946-060524170715/index.htm Ancient Egypt: http://www.iwebquest.com/egypt/ancientegypt.htm Creative Encounters: http://studenthome.nku.edu/%7Ewebquest/gabbard/ Poetry of War: http://www.elco.k12.pa.us/online_homework/O%27Neill/webquest/Home.html Optional Resources: Kellner, D. New Media and New Literacies: Reconstructing Education for the New Millenium. Retrieved 12/10/07 from http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/courses/ed253a/kellner/newmedia.html March, T (2007. Working the web for education: Activity formats. Retrieved 12/8/07 from http://www.web-and-flow.com/help/formats.asp Levy, Steven (2007). "The Future of Reading" Newsweek cover story Nov 17, 2007. Retrieved 12/10/07 from http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983/page/1 Page 6 of 7 EDR 211 Reading in the Content Areas SS, AY 2007-08 / NNHermosa PART II Study Guide With Textbooks, Trade Books & Electronic Texts STUDY QUESTIONS As you study the resources in Module 6, be guided by the following questions: 1. Why use trade books to learn subject matter? 2. What are some ways that teachers can engage students in responding to the trade books they read? 3. What are the “new” literacies and how do they affect content learning in ways that were not possible a decade ago? 4. Why use electronic texts? 5. What are some of the electronic texts that can be integrated into the curriculum? 6. How do the roles of teachers change when they make electronic texts an integral part of subject matter learning? ACTIVITIES Participate in Discussion Forum 2C after you have studied Module 6. Refer to EDR 211 Course Guide for DF participation guidelines. Discussion Forum 2C Guide Question: Choose between A or B A. For language/reading/literature teachers: How can children’s literature (trade books) be used for reading and writing across the curriculum? Illustrate with a specific text. Give a synopsis and show how this particular text can be used for learning concepts in content areas. B. For content area teachers: How can children’s literature (trade books) be used to supplement your content textbook? Illustrate with a specific text. Give a synopsis and show how this particular text can be used for learning concepts in your subject area. Tutor-Marked Assignment 3 (TMA3): WebQuest About WebQuests The TMA3 Activity Guide will be uploaded as a separate file on Moodle. The deadline for submission of TMA3 (WebQuest Report) is on January 12, 2008. Discussion Forum: WebQuests (Whole class forum) Share your WebQuest experience with the rest of the class. Post the Output portion of your TMA3 in this forum. ASSESSMENT: MODULES 4-6 Quiz 2 This 35-item Moodle-based test will be given on January 12-13, 2008. You need to go online and be in Moodle sometime on these days. Page 7 of 7