Cosmic Quest teaching sequence Y5-6
Cosmic Quest: guided reading teaching sequence: using an
on-screen web-based text to support reading development
This session uses the Cosmic Quest website as an on-screen reading resource:
www.childrensmuseum.org/cosmicquest/spacestation/index2.html. © Children’s
Museum of Indianapolis. Used with Kind Permission.
(The websites referred to in these materials existed at the time of publication.
As website material is sometimes updated, teachers should check the website
material carefully before using it and adapt the teaching sequence to
accommodate any changes.)
You need a computer and digital projector or large display, and live Internet
access to use the web pages for teacher demonstration during the session.
Children need access to computers individually or in pairs for the independent
reading activity using the website. You can use saved web pages rather than a
live connection for children’s independent reading, but this would restrict their
ability to navigate widely across the site, should you intend to ask them to
search for information rather than directing them to particular screens.
Overview
The Cosmic Quest website includes three main areas of information and
activity. The first two menu options, Living in space and the Field guide to the
universe, can be used as shared texts, to provide a useful introduction to
demonstrate and discuss reading comprehension strategies prior to the guided
reading session described below.
This guided reading session uses the third section of the website, Expedition to
the north magnetic pole, as content. Expedition to the north magnetic pole could
be used effectively in a guided reading session to support a number of
objectives and reading curricular targets for Years 5 and 6.
It is particularly appropriate for supporting development of comprehension (at
literal, deductive and interferential levels) and reader response in the context of
a complex multi-layered text.
However, as in any other text, it can and should also be used to support the
development of word and graphic knowledge, grammatical awareness and an
appreciation of how a particular text works in terms of its purpose and audience.
Curriculum targets related to all or any of these may well become particularly
prominent while the teaching adult is supporting/assessing individual children
during the independent reading stage of the session.
As an interactive text it will also add value in terms of:
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engaging and motivating children to read and discuss;
extending reading experience to include multimedia ICT texts;
encouraging radial reading and the orchestration of information from
different sources.
The teaching and learning strategies used for guided reading with this text
should, in many ways, parallel the use of a book. In order to be used effectively,
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it is preferable that each child in the guided reading group has direct,
independent control of a computer displaying the text. This is probably best
achieved using:
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some of the machines in a computer suite;
a cluster of computers;
a small set of portable computers.
Note: Where only one shared version of the text is available (single monitor,
projection screen or interactive whiteboard) the text can still be used, but in a
shared-reading rather than a guided-reading context.
Session notes
Cosmic Quest: Expedition to the north magnetic pole
This is a suggested general structure only. It can and should be varied to meet
particular learning needs. The focus and questioning need to be adapted to
match the children’s individual or group reading target(s).
You need to familiarise yourself with the way the text works on screen before
using it with children. Summary resources for the more detailed teaching points
below are included, for easy reference during the lesson.
Introduction
Explain that the site includes information about life in another dangerous
environment where people have to work hard to survive.
From the Cosmic Quest website
(www.childrensmuseum.org/cosmicquest/spacestation/index2.html), use the
menu to select Expedition to the north magnetic pole.
Display the first screen and read the text below the photograph.
Tell the group that there are five key questions you wish them to answer and
that the information to answer them can be found by navigating and reading this
online text. Display the questions, for example, on a flipchart or whiteboard,
from the resource ‘Key questions – strategy check Word file’ or give the children
copies.
Key questions:
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When does the mission take place?
How many people are there in the team?
Which of the latest inventions in technology does the team use to help them
navigate to the Magnetic North Pole?
What is special or different about this particular mission?
How successful is the mission?
Activate prior learning
Remind the group that they have already learned that the information needed to
answer a question is not always written obviously in the lines of the text.
Sometimes they have to dig deeper, using a range of comprehension strategies
to come up with an answer.
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Invite the group to summarise their learning about the different kinds of
comprehension strategy they have already learned during shared reading, or
summarise for them if necessary: LITERAL, DEDUCTIVE, INFERENTIAL
Tell the children that you are going to show them how to check which strategies
they are using when they read to find information.
Model the strategy
Pose each of the five key questions in turn and read aloud from the on-screen
text as you identify the evidence needed, deduce the information needed or use
inference to work out the answer.
Drag the cursor to highlight words and phrases as you refer to them and clarify
what evidence you are using to answer each question.
Each time you decide on your answer to a question, use the following sequence
to make your thinking process evident by speaking aloud. Model the way that
you check which comprehension strategy you use each time.
How do I obtain that information?
1. Was the answer right there in the text for me to find?
Yes?
Then it is LITERAL.
2. Did I have to use information in the text to work out the answer for
myself?
Yes?
Then it is DEDUCTIVE.
3. Did I have to read between the lines or use other information that I
already have to devise an answer?
Yes?
Then it is INFERENTIAL.
Display the sequence clearly for children to use later when they work
independently. There is a separate resource ‘How did I get that information?
Word file’.
As you work through each of the five key questions, invite the children to join in
with the process when you feel they are ready to try out the strategy for
themselves.
This allows you to:
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model the strategy;
scaffold the children’s first attempts;
and then check that they understand what to do.
For example:
When does the mission take place?
Teacher models the complete process.
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How many people are there in the team?
Teacher models the complete process
Which of the latest inventions in technology does the team use to help
them navigate to the magnetic North Pole?
Teacher invites children to answer the question, then teacher models
the checking strategy
What is special or different about this particular mission?
Children answer the question and try out the strategy check with
teacher support.
How successful is the mission?
Children answer the question and use the strategy check.
Teacher information: for each of the key questions above
You can use the ‘Key questions – strategy check’ Word file as a reference
during the lesson.
1. LITERAL
QUESTION
When does the mission take place?
ANSWER
From 22 April to 15 May 2000
From 22 April to 15 May 2000, an international team of four women,
nine men and 20 Canadian Inuit dogs begin a three-week expedition to
the magnetic North Pole.
QUESTION
How many people are there in the team?
ANSWER
There are thirteen people in the team.
From 22 April to 15 May 2000, an international team of four women,
nine men and 20 Canadian Inuit dogs begin a three-week expedition to
the magnetic North Pole.
2. DEDUCTIVE
QUESTION
Which of the latest inventions in technology does the team use to help
them navigate to the magnetic North Pole?
ANSWER
They do not use any of the latest equipment because their main goal is
to reach the magnetic North Pole using only traditional means of
navigation.
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The goal of this expedition is to navigate to the magnetic North Pole by
traditional means using a sextant and an astrocompass.
Even though an astrocompass sounds ‘modern’, the sentence tells us
that it must be a ‘traditional’ method
3. INFERENTIAL
QUESTION
What is special or different about this particular mission?
ANSWER
This mission is different because the team do not use modern
technology to help them navigate and they only use skis and dog sleds
to travel a long way across the ice and snow. It is special because there
is also a scientific aim to find out more about hummocked sea ice.
From 22 April to 15 May 2000, an international team of four women,
nine men and 20 Canadian Inuit dogs begin a three-week expedition to
the magnetic North Pole. The team, led by arctic explorer Paul Schurke,
travel more than 250 miles on skis and dogsleds from the Inuit
village of Polaris (on Little Cornwallis Island) to the magnetic North
Pole, now located near Ellef Ringnes Island. Indianapolis resident Jeff
Ward is the team's navigator.
The goal of this expedition is to navigate to the magnetic North
Pole by traditional means using a sextant and an astrocompass. To
accomplish this goal, the team travel over vast stretches of Arctic
Ocean ice, braving temperatures as low as –30 °F, whiteouts and other
treacherous conditions.
In addition, the expedition work in conjunction with the Cold Regions
Research and Engineering Labs of Hanover, New Hampshire, to study
the mechanism of autopurification of hummocked sea ice.
QUESTION
How successful is the mission?
ANSWER (using the photograph for information)
The mission is very successful because the team reaches the magnetic
North Pole and they all look pleased and in good health. They must
have navigated successfully, which was their main aim, but we cannot
tell from the photograph how successful their scientific investigations
are.
EVIDENCE (using the photograph for information)
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The caption says, ‘MISSION COMPLETE’ and the team is posed in
the way that explorers usually pose when they reach their goal.
The team members appear healthy and well cared-for.
They are smiling so it is unlikely that there were disasters or serious
problems.
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They have taken the trouble to hold up the ‘Children’s Museum’ flag
for the photograph and they probably would not stop to do that if
they were dealing with serious problems at this point in the
expedition.
Independent reading
Tell the group that you would like them to use the same checking strategy as
they read independently to find the answers to some more questions, using
other screens in this area of the website.
The questions and on-screen texts can be allocated in several ways, depending
on the needs of the group.
You will need to take into account the type of access the children have to the
web pages, whether live Internet access or saved web pages. You will also
need to consider whether you wish to include a search element in the activity or
whether you want to focus on the use of the comprehension check by allocating
a specific screen for each question, to save time.
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You can choose to allocate one question to each child and direct them to a
specific screen in one of the sections below.
You can ask children to look for the information they need in a specific
section, such as North magnetic pole map, and give them only the relevant
question(s) for that section.
You can give the group all the questions and ask them to search anywhere
in Expedition to the north magnetic pole.
If children are working independently on a suite of computers, you can
allocate different questions for each child or pair.
Key questions:
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Does anything exciting happen when the team arrive at Resolute Bay?
How does the team arrive at King Christian Island?
What is the name of the area nearest to the magnetic North Pole?
Why is it important for the team to monitor and record the wind conditions?
Why do you think Jeff Ward and Paul Schurke are important members of the
team?
How does the wind help explorers to navigate?
There is a separate resource ‘Key questions – independent reading
comprehension check Word file’ to use to support this session.
Teacher information for each of the questions for independent reading
1. Using the section called Mission highlights.
There are four menu options to choose from in this section.
Expedition’s arrival
North magnetic pole map
North pole satellite view
North magnetic pole weather
Select: Expedition’s arrival (audio)
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Note: The sound on this radio transmission from the Arctic is poor quality but
the answer to the question below can be clearly heard near the beginning of the
clip. Children will probably need to listen to the audiofile more than once.
QUESTION
Does anything exciting happen when the team arrive at Resolute Bay?
ANSWER
The only exciting thing that happens is that three of the dogs escape.
LITERAL
‘Nothing particularly exciting has happened yet, except that three of the
dogs get out … ’
Select: North magnetic pole map
QUESTION
How does the team arrive at King Christian Island?
ANSWER
They travel by air.
(Reader needs to click map below to see expedition’s progress.)
LITERAL (caption on map)
April 30th. Flight to King Christian Island.
Select: North magnetic pole map
QUESTION
What is the name of the area nearest to the magnetic North Pole?
ANSWER
The area is called Cape Isachsen
We know that the expedition’s goal is to reach the magnetic North Pole.
The map tells us that their goal is achieved at a place called Cape
Isachsen, so we can work out that that is the name of the place where
they reach the magnetic North Pole.
DEDUCTIVE
Cape Isachsen: Expedition’s goal achieved!
Select: North magnetic pole weather
QUESTION
Why is it important for the team to monitor and record the wind
conditions?
ANSWER
The team needs to know the wind speed each day because the windchill factor makes such a difference to the temperature they experience.
When the air temperature is –12 C, the wind-chill takes the
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temperature they experience down to –22. They probably have to make
sure that they are going to be safe in such cold conditions.
INFERENTIAL
Temperature: 11 °F/–12 °C
Windchill: –7 °F/–22 °C
This is a challenging question because of the level of inference
required.
2. Using the section called Profiles
QUESTION
Why do you think Jeff Ward and Paul Schurke are important members
of the team?
ANSWER
They are important because they both bring skill, knowledge and
experience to the team. Between them they have years of experience in
this kind of exploration and they are both expert cross-country skiers. In
addition, Paul Schurke knows how to navigate using the stars and that
is very useful because the team is navigating by traditional means.
INFERENTIAL
Jeff Ward: scientist and navigator
Jeff Ward has more than 33 years of experience in cold-region
camping, including two excursions to Denali in Alaska, and multiple
experiences in Minnesota, the upper peninsula of Michigan, Canada
and the Andes Mountains. Ward has navigated for more than 19
years and taught navigation for the Institute for Marine Technology in
Indianapolis and for Ocean Navigator magazine while aboard the
Ocean Star schooner from Portland Maine. He is also an intermediate
level cross-country skier.
Paul Schurke: renowned arctic explorer and expedition leader
Along with Will Steger, Paul Schurke led the first confirmed
expedition to reach the North Pole by dog-sled without re-supplying
in 1986. Since then he has trekked to the geographical North Pole
four more times. He has explored vast regions of the Arctic, from
Russia to Ellesmere Island in Canada. He is experienced in celestial
navigation and is an expert cross-country skier.
3. Using the section called Activities
QUESTION
How does the wind help explorers to navigate?
This question is slightly more challenging than others and is useful for
discussion as the children need to select where to look, from:
Buoyancy of an egg in water, Rock’n’ice, Layered liquids and density,
Book list, Websites, Inuktitut words
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The most likely source of useful information may seem to be Rock’n’ice
but the answer can actually be found in Inuktitut words.
ANSWER
The prevailing wind makes patterns on the snow and the explorers use
these patterns to help them navigate.
LITERAL
Inuktitut words
Upsik (oop-SIK) – wind-beaten snow that shows the pattern of the
prevailing wind (satrugi). Expedition team members will use the snow
pattern to help with direction and navigation.
As children read to find the answers to the questions and use the
comprehension check to monitor the reading strategies they are using, make
sure that they are able to locate the information they need but focus on
discussion about whether they find their answer by reading literally, deductively
or inferentially.
Plenary
Return to the main screen Expedition to the north magnetic pole
Ask the children how well the comprehension check works when they are
deciding what kind of reading strategies they are using. Some children may be
interested in exploring the subtle differences between literal and deductive, or
between deductive and inferential in some of the examples.
Return to the text
Remind the group that they are also learning how to answer questions that
make the reader think about the author’s intention when the text is being
written. Tell them that they also need to check for this kind of question when
they are reading.
AUTHORIAL INTENT
Go back to the first screen you used on the large display Expedition to the north
magnetic pole
Give the group one more key question:
QUESTION
How does the author let us know that this is not a straightforward and
easy mission to undertake?
Ask the children to decide on their answer by reading the on-screen text
once more. Allow a few moments for them to read and think, then ask
them to check with a talk partner what the best answer might be.
POSSIBLE ANSWER
The author chooses words carefully to suggest to the reader that this is
a dangerous and difficult mission. Powerful verbs and slightly unusual
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adjectives are used deliberately to give extra information about how
severe the conditions are for the team.
From 22 April to 15 May 2000, an international team of four women,
nine men and 20 Canadian Inuit dogs begin a three-week expedition to
the magnetic North Pole. The team, led by arctic explorer Paul Schurke,
travel more than 250 miles on skis and dogsleds, from the Inuit village
of Polaris (on Little Cornwallis Island) to the magnetic North Pole, now
located near Ellef Ringnes Island. Indianapolis resident, Jeff Ward, is
the team's navigator.
The goal of this expedition is to navigate to the magnetic North Pole by
traditional means using a sextant and an astrocompass. To accomplish
this goal, the team travel over vast stretches of Arctic Ocean ice,
braving temperatures as low as –30 °F, whiteouts and other
treacherous conditions.
travel more than 250 miles on skis and dogsleds
The author lets us know that this is a long journey for the team by using
‘more than’. This suggests that even 250 miles would be a long way,
but their journey is longer than that.
travel over vast stretches
The author could have described the Arctic wilderness as ‘big’, ‘wide’ or
even ‘huge’. The carefully chosen adjective ‘vast’ gives us a strong
impression of the kind of place the team have to travel across. The
word ‘vast’ suggests not only how enormous the wilderness is in
comparison to the men and women journeying across it; it also gives us
a strong feeling that it is deserted as well.
braving temperatures
The author has managed to tell us two things at once here about the
dangers of the journey. We are told in this sentence that the
temperatures are very low but the use of the word ‘braving’ also tells us
that the cold is something the team have to be brave to put up with. The
author has deliberately emphasised the awful cold twice in one
sentence.
other treacherous conditions
This is another example of the author’s careful choice of adjective. The
word ‘dangerous’ could have done the job here but the word
‘treacherous’ makes the conditions sound far more frightening. We
often refer to a person, such as a villain, as being ‘treacherous’. The
author makes us feel almost as if the severe weather and the deserted
landscape are out to get the team!
Conclude the session by asking the group to make suggestions as to how they
can check for questions about AUTHORIAL INTENT when they are reading.
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Summarise their ideas and add them to the bottom of the ‘strategy check
sequence’ used earlier, e.g.
How do I obtain that information?
1. Is the answer right there in the text for me to find?
Yes?
Then it is LITERAL.
2. Do I have to use information in the text to work out the answer for
myself?
Yes?
Then it is DEDUCTIVE.
3. Do I have to read between the lines or use other information that I
already have to devise an answer?
Yes?
Then it is INFERENTIAL.
4. Do I have to think carefully about what the writer may have intended
when choosing the words, sentences, organisation or presentation?
Yes?
Then it is a question about AUTHORIAL INTENT.
Separate resources for use with Cosmic Quest:
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‘Key questions – strategy check’ Word file;
‘How do I obtain that information?’ Word file;
‘Key questions – independent reading comprehension check’ Word file.
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