“For better or worse, we all learn the most from adversity, not just as readers, but in the wider circles of our lives…Learning to monitor for meaning and make ongoing revisions as we’re confronted with new information is not only a reading skill, but a life skill, and the feeling of accomplishment when we break through to understanding is hard to beat.” (Keene and Zimmermann, p. 63).
My life has been full of revisions! From the career path I chose to the number of layers I wear on any given day. As I collect more information my opinion has changed. What I enjoyed most about this chapter was how the authors broke down ways that good readers monitor their comprehension. So much of these strategies have become second nature for me that I am afraid I won’t know how to break them down and teach them to students. The skills are so invisible to me that until being pointed out to me in literacy courses I had very little understanding of why/how someone could struggle as a reader. When I read about Chris and Kristin talking about their thinking with students, I kept noticing myself thinking, “oh I do that!” and, more excitingly, “I could teach that!”. It gives me a lot of hope to see what once seemed to be a “you have it or you don’t” ability broken down in to achievable strategies. Its not magic, its metacognition!
“Only when readers listen to their inner voice will they notice when they stray from an active inner conversation with the text.” (Harvey and Goudvis, p. 79)
Calling attention to our thinking is important. However, it is not enough to stop at pointing out that our mind wanders when we read. What I enjoyed in the chapter was the idea of creating a chart of problems and solutions. Here is an example of how monitoring meaning is a lifeskill! Especially in the electronic age, it is most important to me that my students learn to learn. I know adults who when faced with a problem just sit back and complain. Understanding that life is full of challenges, and then looking for solutions to challenges instead of being stumped by a roadblock is certainly a valuable skill for adults (and one that gets you a lot farther than whining!).
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
“Ellin reminded herself that children’s responses are nearly always worth the wait, and that silence, though uncomfortable for the adults, can lead to great thinking” (Keene and Zimmerman, 152).
There are a lot of reasons I want to be a teacher and Ellin’s thoughts above hit the first reason right on the head. I am so amazed by children’s responses. I love how amazingly unique and creative they can be when given the chance to solve a problem. This quote made me reflect on my own teaching. How am I giving my students chances to solve problems? And if I am giving the opportunities they need, am I giving them the wait time and the voice to really examine their thinking? I am not sure that I give enough self-reflection time to my students. Even if I can’t give them enough time to each talk to the class one by one, I could give them a few moments to “turn and talk” like on the video we watched in class, or write down their ideas before we start our class discussion.
“Kids taste, touch, feel, and smell their way through books as well as through experiences. So we model using all of our senses to understand what we read, hear, and view” (Harvey and Goudvis, 149).
This is central to what I believe students learn from art making. We experience the world with site, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Limiting activities to one learning style to me is like how my favorite food tastes when my nose is all stuffed up. Allowing students to express their learning through all of their senses enriches learning. When students have a chance to create something using what they learned and what they know from their experience it strengthens their connections to the material. The more connections they can make with information the better able they will be to hang on to it.
There are a lot of reasons I want to be a teacher and Ellin’s thoughts above hit the first reason right on the head. I am so amazed by children’s responses. I love how amazingly unique and creative they can be when given the chance to solve a problem. This quote made me reflect on my own teaching. How am I giving my students chances to solve problems? And if I am giving the opportunities they need, am I giving them the wait time and the voice to really examine their thinking? I am not sure that I give enough self-reflection time to my students. Even if I can’t give them enough time to each talk to the class one by one, I could give them a few moments to “turn and talk” like on the video we watched in class, or write down their ideas before we start our class discussion.
“Kids taste, touch, feel, and smell their way through books as well as through experiences. So we model using all of our senses to understand what we read, hear, and view” (Harvey and Goudvis, 149).
This is central to what I believe students learn from art making. We experience the world with site, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Limiting activities to one learning style to me is like how my favorite food tastes when my nose is all stuffed up. Allowing students to express their learning through all of their senses enriches learning. When students have a chance to create something using what they learned and what they know from their experience it strengthens their connections to the material. The more connections they can make with information the better able they will be to hang on to it.
Literature Review: Questioning, a Strategy for Reading Comprehension
Literature Review
Inventories taken by the National Reading Panel indicate that large numbers of students are able to decode text successfully but struggle to understand what they have read (Myers, 2005). Contemporary studies of reading support this concern, attesting to the complexity of reading comprehension. For example, research has shown that not only does word analysis, vocabulary development, and fluency influence reading comprehension (each complex in and of themselves), but prior knowledge, experience, and metacognition also influence a reader's ability to comprehend a text (King, 1994). Reading instruction should, therefore, address not only decoding ability but also respond to reading as a dialogue between reader and text with many factors converging to make meaning (Myers, 2005). Construction of meaning through these multifaceted factors suggests that when learners infer, adjust, elaborate, or generate relationships using the new information and what they already know, they are better able to understand and remember what they read (King, 1994).
One way to encourage such reformulation of ideas is to teach the use of metacognitive questioning strategies. Questioning strategies cause readers to think more deeply about new information, stimulating thought process for problem solving and imaginative thinking (Williamson, 1996). Teacher-led questioning activities have been present in curriculum since the beginning of American education; new exploration using questioning shows that explicit instruction of self-questioning techniques can provide metacognitive focus for improved reading comprehension that authentically engages students in way that teacher-led questioning does not (Gauthier, 2000). A reformed approach to reading instruction should include explicit instruction of metacognitive reading strategies, like questioning, in authentic student-driven contexts.
Traditional Use of Questioning in Reading Instruction
Questions can provide academic focus and coherence for an entire curriculum (Gauthier, 2000); the imperative role of questions in the classroom has been proven by research, and of course, by time. Questioning in reading instruction has largely been approached as a series of questions meant to measure comprehension which are answered following reading (Durkin, 1978-1979). Commonly these questions are created by the teacher or taken from the basal reader (Lloyd, 2004). In the case of both the basal and teacher created questions, instructors often spend time creating and posing thoughtful higher order thinking questions only to find that the students are uninterested and unengaged in answering the queries (Lloyd, 2004). Many students read as passive recipients allowing the text to “wash over them” instead of making connections to the text or delving beyond surface level in support of their understanding; in short, passive readers answer questions the teacher created in the way the teacher thought they should (Zimmermann & Keene, 2007 . Lloyd, 2004). Furthermore, there is little instruction in the traditional format of a series of questions following reading selection. Educators using this traditional model are assessing their students' understanding, but students are not being taught how to improve their reading comprehension by asking questions of their own (Durkin, 1978-1979).
Authentic Student Questions
In contrast to teacher driven questioning, incorporating student generated questions into literacy instruction addresses assessment needs of the teacher while increasing the motivation of students. Furthermore, authentic student-developed questions can enhance comprehension by “fostering a synthesis of concepts through practical application” and focus on main ideas (Gauthier, 2000). Student responsibility for questioning still provides the focus of guiding questions (Gauthier, 2000), but by generating and using self-questioning techniques the curriculum is enriched with beneficial comprehension instruction and increased student motivation (Durkin, 1978-1979. Lloyd, 2004). Through the process of asking authentic questions “literature discussions become more than an activity in which the reader is responsible for finding a specific predetermined meaning of the text. The questions invite students to interpret the text by illustrating the meaning and acknowledging the valuable insights each reader brings to the text." (Lloyd, 2004)
Teachers and researchers investigating the use of authentic questioning used for comprehension instruction reported more attentive classes who thought more deeply about the text, using their questions and discussion to interpret, evaluate, and synthesize (Gauthier, 2000. Lloyd, 2004). Students reported that having control of the discussion was more challenging and interesting; many reflected that questioning promotes active reading. (Lloyd, 2004) Sharing questions in small groups and as a class also contributed improving student comprehension. Participating in questioning activities students generated questions, but also listened to other student questions and responses further expanding “the network of cognitive connections needed for understanding text" (Gauthier, 2000). Using authentic questions in the curriculum is a powerful tool for teaching reading comprehension, engaging students in literature discussions, along with assessing student creation of meaning from text.
Explicit Instruction of Metacognitive Strategies
Explicit instruction of comprehension strategies keeps the key features of literacy instruction such as read alouds, small group literature discussions, and reflective writing but shifts the control of these elements from the teacher to center around student thinking. Instead the comprehension strategy instruction uses the gradual release of responsibility model to beginning with the techniques that provides the most support moving towards independent practice (Lloyd, 2004. Zimmermann & Keene, 2007). To begin teachers start with reading aloud from an engaging text (Zimmermann & Keene, 2007). Read alouds have many benefits for students including building concepts of print, generating interest in literature, and aiding academic vocabulary development (Myers, 2005). In addition to these benefits educators can add the opportunity to introduce comprehension strategies by modeling through think alouds (Myers, 2005). For several lessons students observe teacher think alouds before practicing the strategies themselves first as a whole group then as a small group, and finally independently. The intention behind using the gradual release model is for students to turn these strategies into metacognitive reading skills (Afflerbach, 2008. Zimmermann & Keene, 2007).
As with any instruction method, this formula for gradual release instruction of comprehension strategies is not teacher or student proof solutions. Problems arise and the curriculum should shift in order to respond and improve student discussion. Research suggests that problems arising during instruction can be addressed by discussion and with student created solutions (Lloyd, 2004). For example, at the beginning of questioning instruction many student asked simple explicit questions emulating the years of basal or teacher-driven questions they were used to in traditional curriculum (Lloyd, 2004. Myers, 2005). To encourage students to delve deeper with their questions students should discuss the many types of questions learning to distinguish “thick” and “thin” questions looking to ask questions that are open ended and require critical thinking (Myers, 2005). In addition, it is important that students discuss the transition of questioning strategy to a reading comprehension skill, practiced independently (Afflerbach, 2008). Prolonged discussion and use of a single strategy can become “intrusive and cumbersome to the accomplished reader” (Lloyd, 2004). Strategy instruction was found to be most useful when individual strategies are not over used (Gauthier, 2000). Repeated practice is necessary to ensure mastery of strategies, but open discussion with students about this need for repetition along with self-assessment of their thinking can help instructors determine the pace of instruction (Lloyd, 2004).
Conclusion
Student-driven contexts for reading instruction provide authentic contexts that motivate students, increase their understanding of text, encourage active reading, assess and teach reading comprehension where historical models only assessed comprehension and propagated passive reading (Durkin, 1978-1979. Lloyd, 2004. King, 1994). Adding questioning strategies to students' metacognitive tool box stimulates thought process for improved understanding, problem solving imaginative thinking (Williamson, 1996). Instruction of metacognitive comprehension strategies using gradual release of responsibility supports transition of a reading strategy to reading skill implemented independent for improved life long reading comprehension. This reformed method of reading instruction addresses the complexity of reading comprehension assisting the large numbers of students who are able to decode, but not understand what they have read (Myers, 2005).
Bibliography
Afflerbach, P., Pearson, P. D., & Paris, S. G. (2008). “Clarifying Differences Between Reading Skills and Reading Strategies”. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364-373.
Durkin, Dolores (1978-19879) "What Classroom Observations Reveal About Reading Comprehension Instruction". Reading Research Quarterly,14(4), 481-533.
Gauthier, L. R. (2000). “The Role of Questioning: Beyond Comprehension's Front Door”. Reading Horizons, 40(4), 239-252.
Lloyd, S. L. (2004). “Using Comprehension Strategies as a Springboard for Student Talk”. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(2), 114-124.
Myers, P. A. (2005). “The Princess Storyteller, Clara Clarifier, Quincy Questioner, and the Wizard: Reciprocal teaching adapted for kindergarten students”. International Reading Association, 314-324.
King, A. (1994). “Guiding knowledge construction in the classroom: Effects of teaching children how to question and how to explain”. American Educational Research Journal, 31(2), 338-368.
Zimmermann, S., & Keene, E. O. (2007). Mosaic of Thought: The Power of Comprehension Strategy Instruction (2nd ed.). Heinemann.
Inventories taken by the National Reading Panel indicate that large numbers of students are able to decode text successfully but struggle to understand what they have read (Myers, 2005). Contemporary studies of reading support this concern, attesting to the complexity of reading comprehension. For example, research has shown that not only does word analysis, vocabulary development, and fluency influence reading comprehension (each complex in and of themselves), but prior knowledge, experience, and metacognition also influence a reader's ability to comprehend a text (King, 1994). Reading instruction should, therefore, address not only decoding ability but also respond to reading as a dialogue between reader and text with many factors converging to make meaning (Myers, 2005). Construction of meaning through these multifaceted factors suggests that when learners infer, adjust, elaborate, or generate relationships using the new information and what they already know, they are better able to understand and remember what they read (King, 1994).
One way to encourage such reformulation of ideas is to teach the use of metacognitive questioning strategies. Questioning strategies cause readers to think more deeply about new information, stimulating thought process for problem solving and imaginative thinking (Williamson, 1996). Teacher-led questioning activities have been present in curriculum since the beginning of American education; new exploration using questioning shows that explicit instruction of self-questioning techniques can provide metacognitive focus for improved reading comprehension that authentically engages students in way that teacher-led questioning does not (Gauthier, 2000). A reformed approach to reading instruction should include explicit instruction of metacognitive reading strategies, like questioning, in authentic student-driven contexts.
Traditional Use of Questioning in Reading Instruction
Questions can provide academic focus and coherence for an entire curriculum (Gauthier, 2000); the imperative role of questions in the classroom has been proven by research, and of course, by time. Questioning in reading instruction has largely been approached as a series of questions meant to measure comprehension which are answered following reading (Durkin, 1978-1979). Commonly these questions are created by the teacher or taken from the basal reader (Lloyd, 2004). In the case of both the basal and teacher created questions, instructors often spend time creating and posing thoughtful higher order thinking questions only to find that the students are uninterested and unengaged in answering the queries (Lloyd, 2004). Many students read as passive recipients allowing the text to “wash over them” instead of making connections to the text or delving beyond surface level in support of their understanding; in short, passive readers answer questions the teacher created in the way the teacher thought they should (Zimmermann & Keene, 2007 . Lloyd, 2004). Furthermore, there is little instruction in the traditional format of a series of questions following reading selection. Educators using this traditional model are assessing their students' understanding, but students are not being taught how to improve their reading comprehension by asking questions of their own (Durkin, 1978-1979).
Authentic Student Questions
In contrast to teacher driven questioning, incorporating student generated questions into literacy instruction addresses assessment needs of the teacher while increasing the motivation of students. Furthermore, authentic student-developed questions can enhance comprehension by “fostering a synthesis of concepts through practical application” and focus on main ideas (Gauthier, 2000). Student responsibility for questioning still provides the focus of guiding questions (Gauthier, 2000), but by generating and using self-questioning techniques the curriculum is enriched with beneficial comprehension instruction and increased student motivation (Durkin, 1978-1979. Lloyd, 2004). Through the process of asking authentic questions “literature discussions become more than an activity in which the reader is responsible for finding a specific predetermined meaning of the text. The questions invite students to interpret the text by illustrating the meaning and acknowledging the valuable insights each reader brings to the text." (Lloyd, 2004)
Teachers and researchers investigating the use of authentic questioning used for comprehension instruction reported more attentive classes who thought more deeply about the text, using their questions and discussion to interpret, evaluate, and synthesize (Gauthier, 2000. Lloyd, 2004). Students reported that having control of the discussion was more challenging and interesting; many reflected that questioning promotes active reading. (Lloyd, 2004) Sharing questions in small groups and as a class also contributed improving student comprehension. Participating in questioning activities students generated questions, but also listened to other student questions and responses further expanding “the network of cognitive connections needed for understanding text" (Gauthier, 2000). Using authentic questions in the curriculum is a powerful tool for teaching reading comprehension, engaging students in literature discussions, along with assessing student creation of meaning from text.
Explicit Instruction of Metacognitive Strategies
Explicit instruction of comprehension strategies keeps the key features of literacy instruction such as read alouds, small group literature discussions, and reflective writing but shifts the control of these elements from the teacher to center around student thinking. Instead the comprehension strategy instruction uses the gradual release of responsibility model to beginning with the techniques that provides the most support moving towards independent practice (Lloyd, 2004. Zimmermann & Keene, 2007). To begin teachers start with reading aloud from an engaging text (Zimmermann & Keene, 2007). Read alouds have many benefits for students including building concepts of print, generating interest in literature, and aiding academic vocabulary development (Myers, 2005). In addition to these benefits educators can add the opportunity to introduce comprehension strategies by modeling through think alouds (Myers, 2005). For several lessons students observe teacher think alouds before practicing the strategies themselves first as a whole group then as a small group, and finally independently. The intention behind using the gradual release model is for students to turn these strategies into metacognitive reading skills (Afflerbach, 2008. Zimmermann & Keene, 2007).
As with any instruction method, this formula for gradual release instruction of comprehension strategies is not teacher or student proof solutions. Problems arise and the curriculum should shift in order to respond and improve student discussion. Research suggests that problems arising during instruction can be addressed by discussion and with student created solutions (Lloyd, 2004). For example, at the beginning of questioning instruction many student asked simple explicit questions emulating the years of basal or teacher-driven questions they were used to in traditional curriculum (Lloyd, 2004. Myers, 2005). To encourage students to delve deeper with their questions students should discuss the many types of questions learning to distinguish “thick” and “thin” questions looking to ask questions that are open ended and require critical thinking (Myers, 2005). In addition, it is important that students discuss the transition of questioning strategy to a reading comprehension skill, practiced independently (Afflerbach, 2008). Prolonged discussion and use of a single strategy can become “intrusive and cumbersome to the accomplished reader” (Lloyd, 2004). Strategy instruction was found to be most useful when individual strategies are not over used (Gauthier, 2000). Repeated practice is necessary to ensure mastery of strategies, but open discussion with students about this need for repetition along with self-assessment of their thinking can help instructors determine the pace of instruction (Lloyd, 2004).
Conclusion
Student-driven contexts for reading instruction provide authentic contexts that motivate students, increase their understanding of text, encourage active reading, assess and teach reading comprehension where historical models only assessed comprehension and propagated passive reading (Durkin, 1978-1979. Lloyd, 2004. King, 1994). Adding questioning strategies to students' metacognitive tool box stimulates thought process for improved understanding, problem solving imaginative thinking (Williamson, 1996). Instruction of metacognitive comprehension strategies using gradual release of responsibility supports transition of a reading strategy to reading skill implemented independent for improved life long reading comprehension. This reformed method of reading instruction addresses the complexity of reading comprehension assisting the large numbers of students who are able to decode, but not understand what they have read (Myers, 2005).
Bibliography
Afflerbach, P., Pearson, P. D., & Paris, S. G. (2008). “Clarifying Differences Between Reading Skills and Reading Strategies”. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364-373.
Durkin, Dolores (1978-19879) "What Classroom Observations Reveal About Reading Comprehension Instruction". Reading Research Quarterly,14(4), 481-533.
Gauthier, L. R. (2000). “The Role of Questioning: Beyond Comprehension's Front Door”. Reading Horizons, 40(4), 239-252.
Lloyd, S. L. (2004). “Using Comprehension Strategies as a Springboard for Student Talk”. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(2), 114-124.
Myers, P. A. (2005). “The Princess Storyteller, Clara Clarifier, Quincy Questioner, and the Wizard: Reciprocal teaching adapted for kindergarten students”. International Reading Association, 314-324.
King, A. (1994). “Guiding knowledge construction in the classroom: Effects of teaching children how to question and how to explain”. American Educational Research Journal, 31(2), 338-368.
Zimmermann, S., & Keene, E. O. (2007). Mosaic of Thought: The Power of Comprehension Strategy Instruction (2nd ed.). Heinemann.
Lesson Plan: Solar System Unit-Buzz Aldrin Autobiography
Lesson 9: Buzz Aldrin
Lesson Focus:
Independently practicing questioning to improve comprehension.
Teacher Responsibilities:
• Will remind students of previous work with questioning.
• The teacher will monitor, and assess the students as they practice the questioning strategy individually while students read Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon and as they share their findings with their small group.
• Finally, the teacher will record key observations the students share with the large group.
Student Responsibilities:
• Individually the students will read Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon practicing the questioning strategy, recording their questions on sticky notes. After reading they will discuss their questions in small groups, and how their questions helped them understand the book.
• Finally, they will share a few key observations with the class. They will assist in labeling this list as questions as answerable with background knowledge, answered in the text, with more research, or unanswerable.
Book/Text:
Aldrin, B., & Minor, W. (2005). Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon. Harper Collins Publishers.
Summary: An illustrated autobiography of Buzz Aldrin.
Think Aloud Statements:
There are no think aloud statements for this lesson because the students will be independently practicing the questioning strategy.
Lesson Focus:
Independently practicing questioning to improve comprehension.
Teacher Responsibilities:
• Will remind students of previous work with questioning.
• The teacher will monitor, and assess the students as they practice the questioning strategy individually while students read Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon and as they share their findings with their small group.
• Finally, the teacher will record key observations the students share with the large group.
Student Responsibilities:
• Individually the students will read Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon practicing the questioning strategy, recording their questions on sticky notes. After reading they will discuss their questions in small groups, and how their questions helped them understand the book.
• Finally, they will share a few key observations with the class. They will assist in labeling this list as questions as answerable with background knowledge, answered in the text, with more research, or unanswerable.
Book/Text:
Aldrin, B., & Minor, W. (2005). Buzz Aldrin: Reaching for the Moon. Harper Collins Publishers.
Summary: An illustrated autobiography of Buzz Aldrin.
Think Aloud Statements:
There are no think aloud statements for this lesson because the students will be independently practicing the questioning strategy.
Lesson Plan: Solar System Unit-Black Hole Poem
Lesson 8: Black Hole Poetry
Lesson Focus:
Making meaning through asking questions.
Teacher Responsibilities:
• Will remind students of previous work with questioning.
• Next, he/she will facilitate a discussion on using questioning to find meaning in a poem. Particularly focusing on how students background knowledge to answer some questions, others require more research, and still others are unanswerable.
• Will model questioning using the poem “The Universe,” using the think aloud statements below, and ask the class to provide think-aloud questions as guided practice.
• After developing questions, the instructor will show how he/she could respond to the questions. Recording in a chart if the are answerable, and if so how (using background knowledge? With more research?)
• The teacher will monitor, and assess the students as they practice the questioning strategy individually while reading the poem “The Black Hole,” and as they share their findings with their small group.
• Finally, the teacher will record key observations the students share and if there are answerable questions, will ask students to brainstorm ideas for researching answers, or mark them as questions answered with background knowledge.
Student Responsibilities:
• Students will generate a definition for inferential questioning and discuss how it helps them find meaning as a large group.
• They will respond to the teacher's example question with a question of their own.
• Individually the students will read the poem in its entirety practicing the questioning strategy, recording their questions on one side of a page. After reading they will discuss the meaning of the poem in small groups, and questions that helped them determine the meaning of the poem.
• Finally, they will share a few key observations with the class in order to create a list of questions. They will assist in labeling this list as questions as answerable with background knowledge, answered by the text, with more research, or unanswerable.
Book/Text:
Florian, D. “The Black Hole”, In Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings (pp. 42-43). Harcourt Children's Books.
Florian, D. (2007). “The Universe”, In Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. (pp. 8-9) Harcourt Children's Books.
Summary: Interpretive and informative poems about astronomy.
Think Aloud Statements:
Text
Inner Questions Thought-Aloud
Response
“The universe is every place,
Including all the e m p t y space.” (p. 8-9)
“Why did the author spell the word empty with extra spaces?
Is he emphasizing something?”
Infer with background knowledge that the author wrote empty space as he did to create an example of the “empty space” that is part of the universe.
“The universe is every place,
Including all the e m p t y space.” (p. 8-9)
“What does he mean empty space in the universe? How is nothing part of something?”
Research “empty space” in the universe. What is in outer space between the stars?
“It's every star and galaxy,
All objects of astronomy,
Geography, zoology” (p. 8-9)
“What does geography have to do with outer space?”
Background Knowledge tells me that geography is about studying earth's features and inhabitants.
Research geography in relation to the universe. Do scientists study other planets the way they study the earth?
Lesson Focus:
Making meaning through asking questions.
Teacher Responsibilities:
• Will remind students of previous work with questioning.
• Next, he/she will facilitate a discussion on using questioning to find meaning in a poem. Particularly focusing on how students background knowledge to answer some questions, others require more research, and still others are unanswerable.
• Will model questioning using the poem “The Universe,” using the think aloud statements below, and ask the class to provide think-aloud questions as guided practice.
• After developing questions, the instructor will show how he/she could respond to the questions. Recording in a chart if the are answerable, and if so how (using background knowledge? With more research?)
• The teacher will monitor, and assess the students as they practice the questioning strategy individually while reading the poem “The Black Hole,” and as they share their findings with their small group.
• Finally, the teacher will record key observations the students share and if there are answerable questions, will ask students to brainstorm ideas for researching answers, or mark them as questions answered with background knowledge.
Student Responsibilities:
• Students will generate a definition for inferential questioning and discuss how it helps them find meaning as a large group.
• They will respond to the teacher's example question with a question of their own.
• Individually the students will read the poem in its entirety practicing the questioning strategy, recording their questions on one side of a page. After reading they will discuss the meaning of the poem in small groups, and questions that helped them determine the meaning of the poem.
• Finally, they will share a few key observations with the class in order to create a list of questions. They will assist in labeling this list as questions as answerable with background knowledge, answered by the text, with more research, or unanswerable.
Book/Text:
Florian, D. “The Black Hole”, In Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings (pp. 42-43). Harcourt Children's Books.
Florian, D. (2007). “The Universe”, In Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings. (pp. 8-9) Harcourt Children's Books.
Summary: Interpretive and informative poems about astronomy.
Think Aloud Statements:
Text
Inner Questions Thought-Aloud
Response
“The universe is every place,
Including all the e m p t y space.” (p. 8-9)
“Why did the author spell the word empty with extra spaces?
Is he emphasizing something?”
Infer with background knowledge that the author wrote empty space as he did to create an example of the “empty space” that is part of the universe.
“The universe is every place,
Including all the e m p t y space.” (p. 8-9)
“What does he mean empty space in the universe? How is nothing part of something?”
Research “empty space” in the universe. What is in outer space between the stars?
“It's every star and galaxy,
All objects of astronomy,
Geography, zoology” (p. 8-9)
“What does geography have to do with outer space?”
Background Knowledge tells me that geography is about studying earth's features and inhabitants.
Research geography in relation to the universe. Do scientists study other planets the way they study the earth?
Strategy Response: Day of Tears
Text Structure
“(Emma, Mattie, and Will's daughter, enters.)
Mattie: Have you gotten Miss Sarah and Miss Frances dressed that quick?
Emma: Master say to them stay in their robes for now and 'em dressed after breakfast.” (Lester, p. 6)
As I started reading Day of Tears I identified some visual clues that helped me understand the story better. First I noticed the list of characters at the beginning of the book. This reminded me of plays I have read in my high school english class, or of going to the ballet and having the character list in the program. I used this list to help give a context for the characters dialogue; as the dialogue begins I can use what I know about the characters to visualize what is happening. The quotation above, near the beginning of the book, also provided clues that I used to help create meaning. The italicized words describe some of the actions of the characters, the bold words indicate who is talking, and the regular font is the dialogue between the characters. While reading this section I go back to the list to help remember who is who and where they are. My experience with dramatic text structure helps me understand what is going on. Particularly, I can draw on my recent experience of reading Witness. Like Witness the story is told through different voices and each voice is labeled.
Sensory and Emotional Images
“Thunder rolled from one side of the sky to the other, back and forth, back and forth. My heart was jumping like it wanted to run out of my body and find some place to hide. Then down came the rain, hard as sorrows” (Lester, p.4).
“The rain comes down like fiery sorrow” (Lester, p.14).
“I can still hear the rain. It was so loud we had to almost shout when we had something to say to each other. But wasn't much to say that morning” (Lester, p. 15).
“When I think back on the day God cried, couldn't no picture make you feel what it was like” (Lester, 16).
“Up here in the girls' room the roof is right above our heads and the rain sounds like a lot of people are pounding nails as fast as they can. But the rain on the windows makes a higher sound, like grains of corn being shaken in a jar” (Lester, p.34).
“We rocked back and forth in the chair while the rain slammed against the roof and windows as if someone was trying to break in” (Lester, 40).
“It was raining the day I gave birth to your mother. Just about like this. A soft, quiet rain. Seems like whenever something important happened in my life it was accompanied by rain. Sometimes it rained hard, so hard that the rain was like needles on your skin.” (Lester, 166).
Rain is ever present throughout the book. My images of the rain come to embody the emotions of the different characters. All of the sorrow, suffering, hate, and ugliness of the slave auction pour down from the sky in the black rain. I am especially struck by the description of the rain by the slaves and children in the book. Their description of the rain makes me think of the friends and family members they would never see, and the aggressive nature of the rain makes me think of the fear they are feeling. For example, Emma describes the rain in the auction pavilion as being like “pounding nails” moving as fast as they can. The comparison caused me to make connections of my own. I thought about how fast your heart beats when you are afraid and how that fear and sorrow would be almost solid in the air like the torrent of rain outside.
Determining Importance
“I felt so proud when he said I was Mama's child and not his. I wished Emma had been there to hear him say that about me. I don't know if I would've known how to react to her being sold if Emma's last words to me hadn't been to tell me to have as good a heart as my mama's.
When I was sitting there in the kitchen I wasn't asleep as much of the time as Mattie thought...most of the time I was thinking about how to have a good heart” (Lester, 109).
As I read Day of Tears I began to think about the importance of Sarah's resemblance to her mother. I had to stop and think about why I thought that was so important. First, it is mentioned repeatedly by many characters and it shapes their actions. Emma encourages Sarah to have a good heart like her mother. Master resents the resemblance and sells Emma to try and make her more like him. In reaction of her father's actions Emma resolves to have a heart as good as her mothers, increasing her likeness with Fanny Kemble and shaping her relationship with her father for the rest of his life. The reflection of Emma in interlude vii particularly shaped my feelings of this theme. Emma is in agony over the loss of her maternal-figure and yet she tries to do what she can to have a good heart by thinking of Will and Mattie's loss and demanding to sleep with them. Using repetition, considering how characters are influenced by a theme, and considering elements the author is emphasizing in the interludes helped me have insight into a message of the story.
Synthesis
“Emma: I was known as Emma, a Butler plantation nigger. I suppose if I would have had a last name it would've been Butler. But I ain't living on the Butler plantation now and I sure ain't nobody's nigger. When me and Joe found out we had to have two names, we talked about it and decided if were were gonna be named for anybody it should be Mr. Henry. Without him we would still be living in slavery....Joe: Everything is perfect except that we left so many in slavery. If it wasn't for Mr. Henry we wouldn't have. I wish there was a Mr. Henry for all the slaves” (Lester, 154).
Reading the last section of the book I was brought to tears on several occasions. At first I was thinking that so much of what the characters had to endure was unfathomable to me. Yet, I had such a strong emotional response. This response made me wonder if there weren't subtle connections that I hadn't realized were helping me make meaning. Thinking more deeply about my response I realized I was reacting this way because I was imagining how I would feel if this had happened to me or my loved ones. Also, I was thinking about Mr. Henry, Joe's teacher. His efforts were so important to Joe and Emma. So important that they took his name. This made me think of my teachers and my students and the impact we have on others' lives. It also made me think of my parents, especially when Joe said “I wish there was a Mr. Henry for all the slaves”. My home and family have given me so much and I feel very grateful. However, there are many people who have not had the loving atmosphere I was blessed enough to grow up with.
In particular, it made me think about an experience I had with an ex-boyfriend. When I started dating this person he seemed very normal, but as our relationship progressed he revealed himself to be very insecure and angry. Eventually, his insecurity, distrust, and anger showed itself in ways that were too big for me to ignore. After breaking up with him he continued to try and force his way into my life, at one point quite literally when he tried to break into my house. His actions scared and angered me. Reading about Joe and Emma's feelings for Mr. Henry, and their wish for every slave to have a Mr. Henry made me wish the same for the young man in my life. I wish he, and every child could have had parents more like mine. So much of his actions stemmed from hurts he had endured from his own parents. Relating to the character's feelings through my experience helped me understand the book better. In addition, it helped me understand myself better. I am glad that I have dealt with my anger and fear enough to feel pity for him and I hope that I can make a small fraction of the impact that Mr. Henry did for my students.
“(Emma, Mattie, and Will's daughter, enters.)
Mattie: Have you gotten Miss Sarah and Miss Frances dressed that quick?
Emma: Master say to them stay in their robes for now and 'em dressed after breakfast.” (Lester, p. 6)
As I started reading Day of Tears I identified some visual clues that helped me understand the story better. First I noticed the list of characters at the beginning of the book. This reminded me of plays I have read in my high school english class, or of going to the ballet and having the character list in the program. I used this list to help give a context for the characters dialogue; as the dialogue begins I can use what I know about the characters to visualize what is happening. The quotation above, near the beginning of the book, also provided clues that I used to help create meaning. The italicized words describe some of the actions of the characters, the bold words indicate who is talking, and the regular font is the dialogue between the characters. While reading this section I go back to the list to help remember who is who and where they are. My experience with dramatic text structure helps me understand what is going on. Particularly, I can draw on my recent experience of reading Witness. Like Witness the story is told through different voices and each voice is labeled.
Sensory and Emotional Images
“Thunder rolled from one side of the sky to the other, back and forth, back and forth. My heart was jumping like it wanted to run out of my body and find some place to hide. Then down came the rain, hard as sorrows” (Lester, p.4).
“The rain comes down like fiery sorrow” (Lester, p.14).
“I can still hear the rain. It was so loud we had to almost shout when we had something to say to each other. But wasn't much to say that morning” (Lester, p. 15).
“When I think back on the day God cried, couldn't no picture make you feel what it was like” (Lester, 16).
“Up here in the girls' room the roof is right above our heads and the rain sounds like a lot of people are pounding nails as fast as they can. But the rain on the windows makes a higher sound, like grains of corn being shaken in a jar” (Lester, p.34).
“We rocked back and forth in the chair while the rain slammed against the roof and windows as if someone was trying to break in” (Lester, 40).
“It was raining the day I gave birth to your mother. Just about like this. A soft, quiet rain. Seems like whenever something important happened in my life it was accompanied by rain. Sometimes it rained hard, so hard that the rain was like needles on your skin.” (Lester, 166).
Rain is ever present throughout the book. My images of the rain come to embody the emotions of the different characters. All of the sorrow, suffering, hate, and ugliness of the slave auction pour down from the sky in the black rain. I am especially struck by the description of the rain by the slaves and children in the book. Their description of the rain makes me think of the friends and family members they would never see, and the aggressive nature of the rain makes me think of the fear they are feeling. For example, Emma describes the rain in the auction pavilion as being like “pounding nails” moving as fast as they can. The comparison caused me to make connections of my own. I thought about how fast your heart beats when you are afraid and how that fear and sorrow would be almost solid in the air like the torrent of rain outside.
Determining Importance
“I felt so proud when he said I was Mama's child and not his. I wished Emma had been there to hear him say that about me. I don't know if I would've known how to react to her being sold if Emma's last words to me hadn't been to tell me to have as good a heart as my mama's.
When I was sitting there in the kitchen I wasn't asleep as much of the time as Mattie thought...most of the time I was thinking about how to have a good heart” (Lester, 109).
As I read Day of Tears I began to think about the importance of Sarah's resemblance to her mother. I had to stop and think about why I thought that was so important. First, it is mentioned repeatedly by many characters and it shapes their actions. Emma encourages Sarah to have a good heart like her mother. Master resents the resemblance and sells Emma to try and make her more like him. In reaction of her father's actions Emma resolves to have a heart as good as her mothers, increasing her likeness with Fanny Kemble and shaping her relationship with her father for the rest of his life. The reflection of Emma in interlude vii particularly shaped my feelings of this theme. Emma is in agony over the loss of her maternal-figure and yet she tries to do what she can to have a good heart by thinking of Will and Mattie's loss and demanding to sleep with them. Using repetition, considering how characters are influenced by a theme, and considering elements the author is emphasizing in the interludes helped me have insight into a message of the story.
Synthesis
“Emma: I was known as Emma, a Butler plantation nigger. I suppose if I would have had a last name it would've been Butler. But I ain't living on the Butler plantation now and I sure ain't nobody's nigger. When me and Joe found out we had to have two names, we talked about it and decided if were were gonna be named for anybody it should be Mr. Henry. Without him we would still be living in slavery....Joe: Everything is perfect except that we left so many in slavery. If it wasn't for Mr. Henry we wouldn't have. I wish there was a Mr. Henry for all the slaves” (Lester, 154).
Reading the last section of the book I was brought to tears on several occasions. At first I was thinking that so much of what the characters had to endure was unfathomable to me. Yet, I had such a strong emotional response. This response made me wonder if there weren't subtle connections that I hadn't realized were helping me make meaning. Thinking more deeply about my response I realized I was reacting this way because I was imagining how I would feel if this had happened to me or my loved ones. Also, I was thinking about Mr. Henry, Joe's teacher. His efforts were so important to Joe and Emma. So important that they took his name. This made me think of my teachers and my students and the impact we have on others' lives. It also made me think of my parents, especially when Joe said “I wish there was a Mr. Henry for all the slaves”. My home and family have given me so much and I feel very grateful. However, there are many people who have not had the loving atmosphere I was blessed enough to grow up with.
In particular, it made me think about an experience I had with an ex-boyfriend. When I started dating this person he seemed very normal, but as our relationship progressed he revealed himself to be very insecure and angry. Eventually, his insecurity, distrust, and anger showed itself in ways that were too big for me to ignore. After breaking up with him he continued to try and force his way into my life, at one point quite literally when he tried to break into my house. His actions scared and angered me. Reading about Joe and Emma's feelings for Mr. Henry, and their wish for every slave to have a Mr. Henry made me wish the same for the young man in my life. I wish he, and every child could have had parents more like mine. So much of his actions stemmed from hurts he had endured from his own parents. Relating to the character's feelings through my experience helped me understand the book better. In addition, it helped me understand myself better. I am glad that I have dealt with my anger and fear enough to feel pity for him and I hope that I can make a small fraction of the impact that Mr. Henry did for my students.
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