ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 1

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 2

Consolidate Reading Skills TAFE SA Code: CAAFB

Nominal Hours: 30

Unit Descriptor:

The focus of the unit is to consolidate the learner’s skills and knowledge necessary for reading a range of unambiguous texts within a community, education, or vocational context.

Application of Unit: This unit applies to learners wanting to develop reading skills for self, employment, education and/or community participation.

It will consolidate reading skills already gained from previous experiences and learning and should ensure the learner has the necessary skills to achieve level 2 of the ACSF indicators of competence for reading.

See Australian Core Skills framework levels of Performance for more detail.

http://deewr.gov.au/SKILLS/PROGRAMS/LITANDNUM/ACSF/Pages/default.aspx

The young person’s readiness to start this unit of work can be assessed through the reading assessment in their Flexible Learning Transition Plan.

To enhance the outcomes for learners it is recommended that this unit be taught concurrently with other units at this level, and that assessments include both integrated and standalone tasks.

To achieve competency in this unit, young people need to be able to read a range of simple texts for different purposes and be able to construct meaning from them.

Young people need to demonstrate:

Word recognition skills

A range of reading strategies

Ability to locate information

Draw conclusions from text

Apply information read to complete tasks or solve problems

Ability to express own opinion in response to text

They also need to understand the importance of:

The source of the text

Features of text that aid reading e.g. use of titles, tables and punctuation

Resources to assist reading e.g. dictionaries, libraries, internet

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 3

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit: This unit of work is set out as a series of explicit tasks that require the facilitator to lead young people through as well as independent learning tasks.

It contains a range of opportunities to assist the young person to meet the performance criteria (see checklist).

Competence is demonstrated through holistic and simulated/real life tasks rather than a specific individual assessment for each concept.

Authentic reading opportunities may include:

Reading newspapers and magazines

Letters and forms

Internet based text and social media

Pamphlets and leaflets

Context of and specific resources for assessment A range of assessment strategies are required to demonstrate competency of this unit including-

Observation

Work samples

comprehension questions

Presentation in group discussions

Peer/self assessment

Consistency of performance To ensure consistency of performance over the range statements and contexts, this unit must be assessed over a period of time.

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 4

Consolidating Reading Skills

Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development Compulsory Unit

Name: ________________ TAFE ID Number: ___________________

Result: achieved / not yet achieved

Date Completed: ___________________ Student Signature:_________________________

Assessor Name:___________________________ Signature:_________________________

Performance Criteria Date

Assessed WPA Initial

1 Use codes and conventions of unambiguous, everyday texts to assist /support reading

1.1 Apply Word Recognition Skills

1.2 Learn new vocab in relevant contexts

1.3 Use organisational features and punctuation to aid reading

2 Understand unambiguous ,everyday texts

2.1 Locate texts relevant to needs and interests

2.2 State reasons for reading

2.3 Use range of reading strategies

3 Engage with unambiguous, everyday texts to construct meaning

3.1 Make predictions about content based on features of text

3.2 Make connections between text and own experiences

3.3 Read to acquire information

3.4 Draw simple logical conclusions from text

3.5 Apply information to complete tasks, solve problems or make decisions

4 Identify the authorship and /or source of ambiguous, everyday texts

4.1 Recognise that the source of information influences reliability or importance

4.2 Understand that text features may influence the interpretation of a message

4.3 Identify that a text is influenced by and will reflect the author’s position

4.4 Express own opinion in response to text

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 5

Self Assessment

Name____________________ Date__________

Yes Sometimes No

Do you like reading?

Do you find reading hard?

Do you understand what you read?

Can you remember what you read?

Can you confidently read out loud?

What are some things you have trouble with when you read? (e.g. long words / whole paragraphs / tables & graphs etc.)

Can you read… Yes Need some help

No

Facebook Comments

Cards eg birthday / Christmas

Text messages

Telephone directory

Newspaper

Forms eg Centrelink form

Road signs

Instruction manuals

List 3 personal reading goals you will set yourself for becoming a better reader:

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 6

What are you reading?

Use this table to record anything that you read.

Don’t forget…it doesn’t have to be a book. You can read anything!!!

What about… Comics

Magazines

Newspapers

Novel/Graphic Novel

Picture books

TV guide

Instruction Manual

Web surfing

Cereal packet

Junk mail

Brochures

Pamphlets

Postcards

Letters

DVD Cover

TV Guide

Recipes

Job Guide

Work related reading

Posters

Forms

What did you read?

Time

2 main points

(use your own words)

This text was…

Easy

A b

it

tric

ky

Too

h

ard

!!

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 7

What did you read?

Time

2 main points

(use your own words)

This text was…

Easy

A b

it

tric

ky

Too

h

ard

!!

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 8

Looking Closely at Texts…

Consolidate Reading Skills is about gaining meaning from a variety of texts –

even if you find them tricky.

In this task, you are asked to read instructions for doing something that interests you.

Visit www.eHow.com and search for a skill you want to learn. You may search for instructions on hitting a golf ball, catching a fish, changing a tyre or cooking a meal. The only rule is they must be written instructions, not just a video.

Once you have found an example, follow these steps:

a) Skim the instructions first – this means, to glance over the text quickly to get an overall idea of what it is about.

b) Now read the instructions slowly and carefully. If you don’t understand something, ask for help.

c) Go back and scan the text in order to answer the following questions.

What equipment will you need? e.g. gloves, hooks, paper, ice etc

Will you physically have to do? e.g. stir, fold, hit, step forward, scrub etc

Now find an online video on the same thing. If www.eHow.com doesn’t have one, try You-tube.

Watch the video List 3 things that are the same in both the video and the written instructions:

1.

2.

3.

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Features of Instructions

The right order Putting instructions into the right order is vital. You could cause irritation and even real problems for your reader, if you don't get it right.

Your mum has left some instructions for you on how to clean the car. However, they are a bit of a jumble and they could be a lot clearer. Put them into the right order by numbering them 1 to 6.

Using the chamois leather, polish the car until it sparkles

Wash the car thoroughly

First clean the inside of the car with the vacuum cleaner

Fill with soapy water

Then fetch a bucket from the garage

Rinse the car with clean water

Less is more Instructions have their own style. They are straight to the point and start with the verb or thing to do.

Consider the following two examples:

a) Mum. Let's see if we can get it right this time. I don't want to be watching Des O'Connor like last time! You need to put the DVD in the machine and then press the record button. That's the small red one which is a little to the left of the play button, which looks like a Smartie with an arrow on it - you can't miss it. The stop button is just below the play button, I think. Oh, by the way, don't forget to rewind the tape first, and you'll need to change the channel too probably.

b) Put the DVD in the machine. Press rewind and wait until the rewinding has finished. Change the channel to 5. The record button is the red one in the top left corner. Press it. Check the recording light is on. Press stop when the programme has finished.

Which is easier to read and why?

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Reading Strategies

We use a variety of skills to gain meaning from what we read. Think about the different strategies you use.

What do we do if we come across a word we don’t know?

Have you tried these strategies… sounding out the word

have-a-go

breaking the words into chunks / syllables

word prediction - reading the sentence and choosing the word that makes sense

looking at the pictures / diagrams

substitute a similar word

Practice these skills while reading the article below

So Bright, They're Banned! Part 1 By Tracy Staedter | from http://news.discovery.com/autos/light-trucks-dekotora-japan-111212.html?print=true

These super-bright, super-pimped-out trucks have been banned from Japanese roadways.

They're a part of a Japanese hobby/competition called "Dekotora," which involves decorating trucks with lights and themes. These trucks are so bright, they distract drivers and could cause accidents.

Every square inch of these vehicles, it seems, is covered in lights, murals, chrome and bling. Many use up so much electricity, they require special generators to power the accessories, and even then, they can only run for 20 minutes before the engine overheats.

These blings of the road take pimp my ride to a whole new level.

Whole families in Japan spend months fitting out these ‘light trucks’, decorated with more sparkle than the average Christmas high street.

Looking like a cross between Transformers' super robot Megatron and a particularly gaudy arcade machine, the custom trucks cost around £100,000 each to hand-decorate.

Far Eastern fans gather at massive truck meets to show off their latest modifications.

The effect is just as spectacular inside, with one cavernous interior featuring a carpeted dashboard and full wall papering inside, complete with an enormous glass chandelier. Owners of the trucks flock to meets attracting hundreds of the gaudy vehicles where they can show off and swap tips.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Part 2 (from www.dailymail.co.uk)

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 11

Activity

Work attack skills a) When you see a new word such as” Dekatora” it is easier to read if you break it down

into syllables eg De/ka/to/ra

Try to do this for the following words from the text

decorating enthusiasm chandelier generators

electricity accessories megatron particularly

b) Another strategy for understanding new words is to see if it has a prefix (beginning) or suffix (ending) that has been added to a word that you know.

E.g. cavernous –you know what a cave is, so you can work out that cavernous might mean “like a cave “in the context of this story.

The prefix “super” at the beginning of the word means “enhanced, bigger or better”

E.g. supermarket means– a big market.

Find other words in this article that have super as a prefix.

For more photos use link below

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2071197/Japanese-light-trucks-blings-road.html

For fun! Use the internet to find examples of the Japanese tradition of total body tattoos.

a) What was the tradition and meaning behind these tattoos?

b) What designs would you choose to put on a truck?

c) Would your design choices have any special meaning to you?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 12

Commonly used words and phrases.

As you become better at reading you will become familiar with more commonly used words and phrases. This will make it easier as you will have less new words to learn.

Activity

In the following 3 sentences underline the commonly used words and phrases.

A seven-year-old boy in Serbia is attracting worldwide attention after his family claim he is magnetic.

To prove their claim, the family paraded the boy in front of a camera crew, with a variety of objects stuck to his chest.

The boy, called Bogdan, seemed unfazed by the attention - nor did he seem to mind having a variety of cutlery stuck to his body.

Which words were new to you? How did you work out what they mean?

Now read the rest of the article and watch the video.

Go to this website and scroll down to view the video:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1360081/Bogdan-The-seven-year-old-Serbian-boy-appears-magnetic.html#ixzz1hE4jBb6v

Attracting the media! Even the reporter's microphone ends up attached to Bogdan's body. His family says he affects electrical equipment as well.

They're happy to show off Bodgan's ability - which they claim he has had since birth.

The video footage shows Bogdan first with a variety of cutlery attached to him, then a TV remote control is added to his body. They say the objects stay there until Bogdan removes them by hand.

Bizarrely, it's not just metal that seems to be attracted to the youngster, China plates and bowls seem to adhere themselves to Bogdan's chest as well.

Any feelings that Bogdan might be nothing more than a sticky little boy are dispelled when a large and heavy frying pan is stuck to his body.

The family say Bogdan is not allowed to go near anything electrical, such as a television or a computer, because his alleged magnetism turns them off.

The good news, however, is that he will never lose the TV remote control!

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 13

Punctuation Punctuation helps make texts easier to read and understand.

Activity

a) Read this text without punctuation

over the years many people have claimed to have super human powers including the ability to read minds eat glass bend spoons with the power of their minds and float above the ground the UK series Misfits features five young offenders who gain superpowers after being caught in a weird storm they learn to live with their new powers while still facing normal teenage problems

b) Now put in the missing punctuation so it is easy to read

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Key words and Skimming and Scanning Gaining meaning from reading is easier if we can recognize the key words in a sentence.

When we get better at reading our eyes skip the unimportant words and focus on the key words.

MINDREADING COMPUTERS

Watch the video on the link below and then read the article below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qbo0We4qAQY

Keyboards and mice may seem like clunky tools of the past within the next five years, pushed aside in favor of computers that can read the human mind.

That’s according to IBM, which just published its prediction about five innovations that will change our world within the next five years. The most head-turning prediction: we’ll be able to use the power of

our minds to operate machines.

This isn’t telepathy. What IBM sees happening is using a simple brain-machine interface (BMI) that can detect different kinds of brainwaves and tell a computer to respond a certain way.

Extremely simple versions of the technology already exist in products like the Star Wars Force Trainer, which includes a headset that’s based on brain waves (EEG). More advanced versions of the technology have been used to assist the disabled at operating computers.

Now IBM wants to take the tech mainstream. Big Blue says it’s working on technology for people to use their brains to interact with their everyday devices, like phones and PCs. “Just think about calling someone and it happens.”

The other four technologies that IBM sees happening in five years are:

passwords become replaced by biometric scans, e.g. eyeball scans

people will help power their homes simply by moving around

everyone will have access to digital technologies cheaply

spam will actually evolve into something useful.

http://mashable.com/2011/12/19/ibm-mind-reading/

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 15

Activity E.g. In the sentence below the words in red are the most important.

The most head-turning prediction: we’ll be able to use the power of our minds to operate machines.

Now you try to highlight the important words in the following sentences:

More advanced versions of the technology have been used to assist the disabled at operating computers.

Keyboards and mice may seem like clunky tools of the past within the next five years, pushed aside in favor of computers that can read the human mind

What do you think would be the benefits of a computer that could read your mind?

What would be the disadvantages?

Of the other 4 predictions which one would you like to see be available in the next 5 years? Why ?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 16

Reading Less Familiar Texts

We use a variety of clues to gain meaning from texts that we may not have seen before.

This may include:

headings diagrams dot points / numbers words in bold or italics symbols etc

Are Polar Bears

Doomed?

Predicting Text Before you read an article, you can gain some understanding from some of the features of the text.

What could you predict from looking at the photo?

What could you predict from looking at the title?

What could you predict from reading the underlined blue linked text?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 17

Now read the article and see what features have been used in this text to help the reader?

Reward yourself half way through by clicking onto the video link to see baby polar bears!!

In 1965, 46 people met in Alaska, for the First Scientific Meeting on the Polar Bear. They were concerned about the threat of commercial hunting. ( Hunters used airplanes to find and herd polar bears toward a waiting gunman.)

1973 marked the end of commercial polar bear hunting. At the time it was uncertain how many bears there were throughout the Arctic (estimates varied between 5,000 and 25,000).

Forty-six years later, the global polar bear population is estimated at between 20,000 to 25,000. From the 19 population groups, eight are believed to be declining, three stable, and just one increasing. Concern is again being expressed over the species' survival. The threat this time, of course, is from climate change.

From their longer necks to their elongated heads, their small ears, their massive forepaws and their layer of blubber, everything that distinguishes polar bears from their close grizzly relatives is an adaptation to a life among the ice floes of the Arctic. But as temperatures rise, that habitat is disappearing, and in 2011 the only news on that front was bad news.

NEWS: New Webcam Allows World to Watch Polar Bear Migration

2011 brought new evidence of the impacts of that declining sea ice on polar bears. Polar bears are being forced "to swim longer distances to find food and habitat. Climate change is pulling the sea ice out from under polar bears' feet."

Polar bears are not necessarily doomed. Chief scientist Steven Amstrup calculated that sea ice decline could be stopped and even reversed if greenhouse gas emissions were capped or reduced.

So are polar bears doomed? Not necessarily. But unless we see drastic changes in policy, behaviour and energy use, the possibility that anything more than a small population will be alive in, say, 2112, appears increasingly small.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/polar-bear-doomed-2012-111212.html

Congratulations you have just read 298 words! Can you say what the main point of the article was?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 18

Reading for a PURPOSE

There are many reasons why people read ranging from practical to pleasure.

Read this text below and try to work out a purpose or reason for reading this information.

Are you being rude without knowing? Here are some brief pointers concerning body language variations and gestures in cultures which differ from “Western” behaviour.

You can offend people from other cultures without meaning to!

EYES Eye contact (other than unwanted staring) is generally regarded as a positive aspect of body language in Western cultures.

In some Australian Aboriginal cultures, it is disrespectful to look an elder, or person of a rank above you, in the eyes. It is a sign of respect to drop your eyes, whereas in Western culture not meeting somebody's gaze is commonly considered to be a negative sign, showing you are lying, lack of attention, lack of confidence, etc.

When cultures meet this provides potential for friction, given the 'Western' expectation in such situations, for example, "Look at me when I'm talking to you".

FEET Showing the soles of the feet is insulting and rude in many Asian and Arab cultures. Similarly pointing the foot or feet at anyone is rude. Feet are considered dirty.

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 19

HANDS In Arab culture the left hand is commonly considered unclean due to associations with toilet functions, and should therefore not be offered or used for touching or eating. When in doubt in Arab environments, using the right hand for everything is a safer idea.

In Arab countries the thumbs-up gesture is rude.

The American-style 'OK' sign - a circle made with thumb and index-finger with other fingers fanned or outstretched ( as in photo above)- is a rude gesture in some cultures, notably Greece, Latin America, Germany and the Middle East.

The offensive British/Western two-fingered sign is not necessarily offensive in Japan and may be considered positive like the Western palm-outwards 'peace' sign in the West.

EYEBROWS Eyebrow raising may be considered rude or to carry sexual meaning in Japanese culture.

NOSES Japanese also consider blowing your nose into a handkerchief in public is obscene, but sniffing is OK!

http://www.businessballs.com/body-language.htm#body-language-different-culture

Activity What do you think the author was hoping to communicate to people reading this article?

Have you ever offended anyone without meaning to?

Can you think of 5 different reasons for reading?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 20

Reading to make good decisions

Reading the fine print when considering any deal will help you make good decisions and hopefully save you money!

Activity

Read the ad (below) for mobile phones and answer these questions:

What 2 products are being advertised?

http://www.catalogues4u.com.au/ViewCatalog.aspx?catID=1803&pageno=17

Fill in the table below to help you compare the 2 phones

Optus Telstra Tick if better option

Price

Model number

Camera

Blue tooth

Memory

Radio/ media player

Appearance of handset

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 21

From the information (on previous page) which phone is the better deal? Explain your answer.

What does “no rainchecks” mean?

Read the fine print at the bottom of the ad. What is this explaining?

What happens if you want to change networks?

Optus

Telstra

Which phone would you prefer? Explain why

If you still weren’t sure which phone to choose what else could you do to make sure you were making the right decision?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 22

Reading for Information

What’s happening in the World Today?

Activity

What types of articles do you like reading in magazines, newspapers or online?

Read through a newspaper or magazine (hard copy or online) and find an article that interests you. (See below for links to news websites) Identify the:

Main idea (this is the most important message the writer wants to share)

Key points (this is the extra information that supports the main idea)

Purpose of the text (Why did the writer actually write this text…was it to entertain, provide information or instructions, persuade you etc?)

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 23

Text features (Are there any dot points, headings, diagrams, different fonts, italics, bolded writing, columns, etc that assist us in reading the text?)

Audience (Who do you think is the intended audience for this text? Who are they hoping will read it?)

Cut out or print the article and use a highlighter to identify the main idea and key points.

What is your opinion?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 24

News websites

Adelaide Now | Latest Adelaide & SA News | AdelaideNow

News headlines from Adelaide & South Australia. The latest national, world, business, sport, entertainment and technology news.

www.adelaidenow.com.au

Discovery News

Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, History, Adventure ...Discovery News digs deep into our world's mysteries. Join us to explore current events and uncover the science behind the headlines. We Dig. You Discover.

www.news.discovery.com

News Online from Australia and the World

News headlines from Australia and the world. The latest national, world, business, sport, entertainment and technology news from News ... Network Navigation (other sites)

www.news.com.au

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Australia Network News; Australian Story; Behind the News; Big Ideas; Business Today… An out-of-control bushfire is threatening lives and homes in Western Australia's ...

www.abc.net.au/news

The Australian

The Australian National and International News with in-depth Business News. www.theaustralian.com.au

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?q=free+images+people+reading+newspaper

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 25

Comprehending and summarizing texts

Fact & Fiction in Sci-Fi Movies

The ability to summarize (cover the main points briefly) what you have read is a skill that you will need e.g. when you study at VET Certificate or SACE level.

Practice this skill while revisiting these Sci-Fi movies.

Read this intro then use the website slide show to complete the table below

Movies in 2011 touched on a number of classic sci-fi subjects from aliens to boxing robots and time travel.

And what Sci-Fi buff doesn't enjoy the uniquely theatrical experience of having a moviegoer in the back of the theatre dismiss any offense to the laws of physics with a simple, but forceful "Not real!"? We sure do.

At the risk of taking the fun out of what was an overall decent year for Sci-Fi flicks, and of possibly including one or two spoilers along the way, we look at how closely this year's cinematic science fiction matches up against science fact.

Go to the website below to see Scenes from 9 movies with descriptions of the science from each movie

http://news.discovery.com/space/sci-fi-movies-2011-111216.html

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 26

Activity Choose 3 of the 9 movies discussed on the website slide show and use the information provided on line to complete the table below.

Movie title Science fiction concept of movie Real science comment Your reaction/comment

example

"Real Steel"

Robots that fight each other in combative sport Robots are not advanced enough to behave like top athletes

1

2

3

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 27

Checking the source of information

When you find information on the internet you can’t always be sure that it is written by a reliable author. The activity below shows how to check the source of information of a text.

Extreme Campsite!

Ever felt like sleeping in a cocoon?

Waldseilgarten offers portaledges suspended from thick branches of free standing trees where you can nod off swaying in the breeze.

For you outdoorsy types who like to go to great lengths (and heights) for a good night's sleep, how does sleeping on an overhanging cliff platform at

2,000 metres sound? If this makes you yodel with delight, then you may want to unroll your sleeping bag at the adventure mountain resort, Waldseilgarten.

From high atop a Bavarian mountain summit in Pfronten, Germany, Waldseilgarten offers a variety of camping options for thrill seekers and daredevils alike.

For years, rock climbers have used portaledges -- hanging tent systems -- for sleeping on cliff sides on multiple day climbs. But one man's necessity is another's recreation, so Waldseilgarten can set you up with your very own portaledge. Here, you're free to dream the night away as you hang off the side of a cliff or dangle from the tree tops.

Acrophobics, however, might want to pitch their tents elsewhere!

From http://news.discovery.com/adventure/extreme-camping-111116.html

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 28

Activity The word Acrophobics has a link to wikipedia which will give you the meaning.

The meaning of acrophobics is:

Is Wikipedia always a 100% reliable source of accurate information?

Go back to the link for Acrophobics and find out about the source of the information.

If you look at the Reference list at the end of the article it shows you who contributed to the wikipedia entry on acrophobia. Here is an article which has been used as a source on the Wikipedia entry.

^ Gibson, E. J.; Walk, R. D. (1960). "The "visual cliff"". Scientific American (202). http://www.wadsworth.com/psychology_d/templates/student_resources/0155060678_rathus/ps/ps05.html. Retrieved 2007-12-04

Ask your Case Manager to explain what this reference means

When could it be dangerous or foolish to believe information that you got from the internet?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 29

Locating and Studying Texts

This unit of work will give you the chance to choose from 5 topics that are relevant to teenagers and develop a range of reading skills at the same time!

WHATEVER! The Science of Teens Part 1

Introduction Read the text below and complete the activity listed on next page.

Why do perfectly loveable children seemingly turn into grunting aliens overnight? At last science may have the answer to every parent’s greatest mystery...

Teenagers are a uniquely human phenomenon. Other animals skip this phase altogether, developing rapidly from infancy to adulthood. And at no other time in our lives do our physical and social attributes change so dramatically.

If you believe what you read the current generation of Aussie adolescents are the wildest yet. It seems they’re having more sex than ever before, they’re taking bigger risks, their emotions are frazzled, they binge drink at every given opportunity, they sleep all day or are otherwise glued to their mobile phones or video games.

‘Whatever! The Science of Teens’ explores the latest science that’s shedding light on why our cute and cuddly kids transform into these teen terrors.

In each episode we meet actual Australian teenagers. By examining their lives we attempt to show the biology behind the bad behaviour. And it’s NOT simply a matter of raging hormones.

Our teens also act as ‘lab rats’ for regular experiments that bring the science to life.

Along the way, Australia’s leading scientific and behavioural experts comment, and presenter Steve Cannane documents the teens in their natural habitats – the beach, the mall, the skate park or at wild parties.

For years we’ve just put adolescent attitude down to raging hormones. But is this the whole answer? The most recent research is proving that teen behaviour is actually a product of biological processes, that all serve a purpose in the ‘bigger picture’. It may be a difficult time of life, but it really is a matter of ‘no pain, no gain’.

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 30

Activity

Find one sentence that is a “statement” and underline it. Label it “statement” in the margin.

Find a sentence, in the text you read, that is a “question” and underline it.

Label it “question” in the margin.

Why do you think the title “Whatever!” has an exclamation point?

What is the main idea of the last paragraph? Highlight it and label it “main idea” in the margin.

When the author says “it really is a matter of no pain, no gain” what do you think this means?

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 31

The article below explains teenage brain development.

Read it and complete the questions

The Science behind WHATEVER!

Teenagers are a uniquely human phenomenon; most other animals develop quickly from infancy to adulthood, but humans have a very puzzling gap between sexual maturity and adulthood.

At no other time in our lives do our physical and social attributes change so dramatically. It’s a stormy period. Teenagers know it and now science is beginning to understand why.

Now with the use of MRI scans scientists have uncovered windows into the teen brain that have led to new ideas about disorders and dysfunctions like depression and drug addiction. This might also explain some teenage irrational behaviour.

And it all happens in one part of the teen brain called the pre-frontal cortex.

The teen brain undergoes rewiring, destroying and creating nerve connections at lightning speed. It’s use it or lose it time, where what you learn (or don’t) gets hardwired into your brain for the rest of your life. Add sex hormones and a rapidly changing social and technological world and you’ve got a potentially dangerous mix .

Jay Geidd , the pioneer of teen brain science, says that the brain continues to develop until our mid twenties.

Considering the new discoveries about teenage brain development, it seems arbitrary that society has decided a young person is ready to drive a car at 16 years old or to drink alcohol, vote and serve in the Army at 18.

Should this be the age then that young people are truly culpable for their actions?

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/documentaries/interactive/whatever/pdf/presskit.pdf

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading Skills 32

Activity The words in red may be new to you.

List 3 ways to find out what they mean?

Choose 6 of the words in red and find out what they mean or find another word that would mean the same thing. (Simile)

Word

Meaning or simile

The author suggests that the brain is not developed until around 25 years old.

He asks “Should this be the age then that young people are truly culpable for their actions?”

What does “culpable” mean? Can you guess from the context?

Do you think teenagers should be stopped from doing “adult” activities until they are 25? eg. drinking, driving, voting, joining the army.

Explain your reasons.

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WHATEVER! Part 2

WATCH an Episode

a) Locate the DVD Whatever! The Science of Teens

b) Choose 1 of the 5 episodes that interests you from these topics:

RISK BINGE DRINKING SEX MOOD SLEEP

c) Watch the episode taking notes of the main points (you will need it later on)

Whatever! FIND More INFO Part 3

a) Find TWO (2) more sources of information on the same topic

b) Read them and make notes especially recording if they have anything new or different to add

c) Complete the Chart “WHATEVER! Topic Study – Comparing Sources of Information” by filling out each row to summarise the 3 different sources

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading 34

Whatever! Topic Study – Comparing Sources of Information Topic Where Found Author/producer Main conclusions Your reaction/opinion

Source 1

Whatever!

Episode ......

DVD

Source 2

Source 3

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading 35

WHATEVER! Part 4

Using the chart you created to compare 3 sources of information about your topic, answer the following questions by comparing the information from each of your sources:

Was the content from each source similar in any way?

Was the content from each source different in any way?

How does this research compare with your own experience /opinions?

Does this research help you understand your own behaviour/thoughts and feelings? Explain:

What message would you like to give adults to help them understand teenagers?

Share your findings with another person.

I shared my findings with:

ICAN Certificate 1 Education and Skills Development – Consolidate Reading 36

Reading Aloud

Some people feel quite nervous when they are asked to read out loud.

How do you feel about reading in front of other people?

Choose a worker that you feel comfortable with and ask them to do this reading assessment with you.

1. Choose a text to read. This needs to be about 100 words and also needs to include some trickier words.

2. Find a quiet place away from the other young people.

3. Read the text to the worker.

4. The worker will ask you some questions about the text and then fill out the following table

Text Chosen: Awesome We will try this again

read fluently

self corrected through re-reading

used a variety of word attack skills

identified the structure of the text (beginning / middle / end)

gained meaning from the text

related text to own knowledge and experiences

identified purpose of the text and intended audience