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Part A-Purpose: Capturing Information from Text What is it? Using graphic organizers selected to align with how information is structured in text. Why should I teach it? Identifying how information is organized helps students to understand, analyze, synthesize and evaluate the content of text. Graphic organizers represent information visually, allowing students to see patterns and relationships. How can these tools help? Students access a repertoire of graphic organizers for note‐taking and organizing written responses to text. How does it work? Students look for the thinking or organizational pattern in text and then select an appropriate graphic organizer for capturing key content. How can I assess student learning? An excellent rubric for assessing a graphic organizer can be found at http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/inspirationrubric.html What resources can I access? Numerous websites have graphic organizers in PDF files that can be downloaded and reproduced. Both http://www.edhelper.com/teachers/graphic_organizers.htm and http://www.educationoasis.com/curriculum/graphic_organizers.htm have a variety of graphic organizers grouped by purpose. The Prentice‐Hall website has excellent short descriptions of reading strategies for processing text, with sample worksheets, graphic organizers and practice exercises based on their biology textbook. http://www.phschool.com/reference_center.html The Knowledge Loom, http://knowledgeloom.org, has a site devoted to Adolescent Literacy in the Content Areas that includes many examples of the use of graphic organizers to support reading text.


Part B-Sample Lesson: Reading like a Writer Introduction 1. Collect a variety of magazine ads that use the technique of Compare/Contrast to promote a product. For example, recent magazine ads used these techniques:

• A matrix comparing three denture adhesives • A before and after photo to sell low calorie foods and meal supplements • Two contrasting photos of a child using different allergy medications • An ad with colourful foreground photo of tooth‐whitening strips and grey‐toned background picture

of a clinic for “expensive” laser treatments. • An ad for dandruff shampoo with a superimposed baby picture to highlight sensitive scalp and the

words “sensitive then” “sensitive now” • An ad for “heroic” chocolate cookies formatted to look like a movie poster • An optical illusion of two mountains meeting which, looked at differently, is a couple kissing in a

mouthwash ad. • Ads for “improved” products including comparative statistics. • Ads for “100% cool” fruit juices using pictures of surfers and skateboarders as an analogy for cool. • Use of visual and verbal similes or metaphors – a hair product to control frizz/an umbrella

2. Post the ads around the room or distribute them to small groups.

Ask the class to identify: a) Purpose of the ad b) Thinking process behind the ad c) Strategy/technique used to direct reader/viewer’s attention and thinking

3. Class Debriefing Highlight the use of a variety of strategies to engage the reader in compare/contrast thinking.

Ask: 1. Why is compare/contrast a powerful strategy if the writer’s purpose is to persuade or influence a

customer’s thinking? 2. How might your awareness of the use of this strategy impact your thinking about the ad?


Using graphic organizers to analyze thinking processes

1. Show samples of graphic organizers that can be used for analyzing comparisons:

• Venn diagram • Compare/contrast chart • Matrix

2. State: When we take information and enter it on a graphic organizer, we can see if the comparisons are: • evenly balanced or weighted to favour one side • comparing similar attributes (e.g. apples and apples, not apples and oranges) • comparing significant or meaningful attributes (surface features vs deeper structures) • supported by data, reasons, examples or based on unsupported assumptions • facts or opinions

These are criteria that can be used to evaluate both the quality and logic of the thinking and the fairness of the comparison. 3. Select one of the ads and a graphic organizer. Work with the class to fill in the graphic organizer. Then ask how the ad meets or does not meet the criteria for a logical and fair comparison.

4. Select a piece of text that is also organized using a compare/contrast pattern. Organize students in pairs to read the text. They will then select and fill in an appropriate compare/contrast graphic organizer. Finally, they will share their comments on the quality of the thinking and the organization of the writer’s essay with another pair of students.


Other Patterns for Organizing Text

State: We have looked at one pattern used for presenting information in a persuasive way. Here are some other common patterns used in text: Chronological Events are organized as they happen in time Sequential Steps are described in a logical order Cause and effect Relationships or connections are suggested between earlier and later events or

actions Problems/solutions The text introduces or describes a problem and then suggests possible solutions for

consideration Instructions/ directions “How‐to” texts present information as a series of steps to follow in order

Once you identify the structure, as the reader you can:

1. anticipate what information will be presented 2. select a graphic organizer for summarizing information 3. evaluate the quality and presentation of the information 4. remember the content more easily

Strategies for identifying text structure include:

Skimming the article for:

• titles • subtitles • headings • key words

Scanning the article for “clue words” that indicate the logical pattern.


Ask: What would be some “clue words” for each of these patterns? Fill in the right side of the chart.

Organizational Pattern Clue Words 1. Chronological 2. Sequential 3. Cause and effect 4. Problem/solutions 5. Instructions/directions 6. Classification 7. Main idea/supporting details

State: Once we have identified the organizational pattern, then we can select an appropriate graphic organizer. Show the following chart and samples of graphic organizers that align with each organizational pattern.

Organizational Pattern Graphic Organizer 1. Chronological Timeline, chain of events, Time order chart 2. Sequential Flow chart, beginning/middle/end,

storyboard, cycle diagram, sequence chart 3. Cause and effect Fishbone, cause and effect,

prediction/outcome, multiple causes map, multiple effects map

4. Problem/solutions Problem solving chart, web 5. Instructions/directions Flow chart 6. Classification Web diagram, branching 7.Main idea/supporting details Pyramid notes, main idea hierarchy chart,

ladder, persuasion map

Note: See the following websites for these and many more samples of graphic organizers that can be downloaded for classroom use: http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6‐12/Tools/Index.htm and http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/


Applying Strategies to our Reading: Reading Log

As students are assigned expository reading for this class, other classes or at the workplace, ask them to keep a reading log (see attached). For each entry, they will record:

1. Text source 2. Organizational pattern 3. Graphic organizer used to summarize information 4. Key learnings from analyzing text

Lesson Extension Another source for the analysis of text structures is http://info.kochi‐tech.ac.ip/lawrie/semantictextstr.htm Students can see how a cause/effect graphic organizer is used to summarize a short article on the decline of salmon stock. The website also shows how to identify key words or features in a text that indicate its organizational structure.


Part C-Lesson Plan Worksheets Information Reading Log Date:

Text source:

Organizational Pattern Identified Graphic Organizer Used

Key learnings from analyzing text:

Date:

Text source:

Organizational Pattern Identified Graphic Organizer Used

Key learnings from analyzing text:

Documents

capturing information from text - Employer Registryemployerregistry.ca/Portals/0/GTApartners/gta1/capturing informatio… · 3. evaluate the quality and presentation of the information