Secondary Education 301Content Area Literacy

Turn in Literacy Questionnaire

SIT with your study group.

WelcomeOpening Prayer

ReviewTurn and talk

1. Name the five elements of a complete primary reading program.

2. As a secondary teacher, why is it important for you to be aware of these?

Group Share

Content Objective• I will identify the steps to begin the observation of my focal student.• I will identify

– the meaning of textbooks– my responsibility in choosing classroom materials– The factors that make classroom materials readable and

comprehensible

Language Objectives:• I will discuss Adolescent literacy, Content and Disciplinary literacy. • I will read, write about, and discuss how to choose classroom

materials by participating in the reading strategy, “Merge your thinking with new learning.”

• Using the reading strategy, “Merge your thinking with new learning,” I will read, write about, and discuss the article “The Challenge of Challenging Text.”

Study Group Activity1. With your study group review the

article you read on adolescent, content, or disciplinary literacy. (5 min)

2. Each group will share three things:a. New learningb. Any reactionsc. Questions(10 min)

Adolescent Literacy• New Learning

– Remedy class– Reading labs– Fifteen elements of an adolescent reading program

• Reactions– Admired – students supported

• Questions– How can we include this in our programs?– How do we motivate kids?

Content Literacy

• New Learning– Students who struggle in one class may

be successful in another• Reactions

• Questions

Disciplinary Literacy• New Learning– Don’t focus just on what they need to be

able to do but the process of reading in the discipline

• Reactions

• Questions–How do we teach the different skills?

Review: What do you see?

What is literacy?

Why does Literacy Matter?• Literacy influences learning. . . .• Literacy is learning.• If there is no literacy, there is no

learning.• If we cannot make sense of texts, we

cannot make sense of our world.

Student Study1. Observations:

a. Try to observe your focal student in and out of your class, e.g. Young Women, Sunday School, etc.

b. Look for ways that various representations of literacy are used to communicate information, feelings, and identities.

c. Look for how your focal student uses literacy to make sense of texts in their world and position themselves and others.

d. Questions ???????

Merge Your Thinking With New Learning

Engage and Connect:• Today we are going the review the chapter on Selecting

Textbooks and Multimedia Materials. We are going to use the comprehension strategy, “Merge Your Thinking With New Learning” to help us gain a better understanding of how to select texts and other materials for our classroom.

• Before we begin, what does the word ‘merge’ mean? What are some examples of merging?

• Understanding the meaning of ‘merge,’ and reading the title of the strategy, what are we going to do today?

Model• Begin reading, “What is a textbook?... (pg. 51)

– Think Aloud (TA) There is the definition of textbook. I’m going to write ‘definition’ on my post it. • Any book which could be used in formal study• Books written specifically for school use to summarize knowledge

or principles of a discipline• TA: I know what discipline is, we just talked about it. So a

textbook is a book written specifically to summarize knowledge about science, math, or history.

• Read, “Clearly how we select…. (pg. 51)– TA: Wow! Textbooks can have a great effect on

students. I’m going to write ‘effects of textbooks on students on my post it.’

Model• Read, ‘Ultimately, content area teachers….’ (pg. 52)

– TA: I never realized - That is a huge responsibility for me as a teacher. I’m going to write ‘Teacher’s responsibility’ on the post it.

– TA: This last sentence reminds me of a scripture. I think it is in

1 Nephi 13. (Look up scripture) There it is 1 Nephi 13: 23-29– TA: Just like the book that came forth from the Jews in

purity was changed by the great and abominable church, our textbooks are published by human beings who can slant, bend, or bury someone else’s version of the truth. I’m going to write the scripture on the post it to remind me of that connection.

Model• Read “Contemporary evaluations of texts…” (pg 53)

– TA: Something to think about - The books we select must reflect our belief systems. They must reflect the Church’s and the Lord’s belief systems.

• Read “Presumably, the First Amendment gives adults… (pg.54)– TA: Yes, that is true.

• Read “You cannot afford to assume that a textbook… (pg.57)– TA: As a teacher, I have the responsibility to be a righteous

censor of the material presented in my class; what should be there, what shouldn’t be there.

Guide

• Your turn:– Group 1: Read pg. 57-58, Readability, pg. 62, first 3

paragraphs– Group 2: Read pg. 58, Quantitative Factors, pg. 62,

first 3 paragraphs– Group 3: Read pg. 59-61, Qualitative Factors

• Look for – New learning– Merge your thinking with the new learning– Question new learning– Record language that signals new learning on an

anchor chart or post its.

Group Share• New Learning

– Appropriate textbooks/appropriate level– Quantitative, qualitative– Many approaches to help us figure difficulty– Readability formulas, informal tests – Grammatical structures– Technical vocabulary, terms– Abbreviations

• Merging thoughts– Prior knowledge, interests, experience as a teacher

• Questions– How

Group Share/Review• What are texts?

• What is the teacher’s responsibility in selecting materials for the classroom?

• What does readability mean?

• What quantitative factors should we look for when selecting classroom materials?

• What qualitative factors should we look for when selecting classroom materials?

The Challenge of Challenging Text• Using the reading strategy, “Merge your thinking with

new learning,” read the article, “The Challenge of Challenging Text.”– Group 1: Beginning – Sentence Structure on pg. 2– Group 2: Pg. 2-3: Coherence – Build Skills– Group 3: Pg. 3-5: Ongoing vocabulary instruction - end

• Look for – New learning– Merge your thinking with the new learning– Question new learning– Record language that signals new learning on an anchor

chart or post its.

Group Share• Merging thinking with new learning

• Language of new learning

• Questions

• What makes text complex?

• What can teachers do about text complexity?

Textbook Analysis• Description• Rubric• Due July 30, 2013

Wrapping Up• Next Time:– Bellwork: In 5-7 sentences describe

your responsibility as a teacher in selecting materials for the classroom?

– Preview text pg. 120-136, Chapter 8