Prereading Plan

Mirna Deakle

What is a Prereading Plan?Prereading Plan is a three–step assessment/instructional procedure for teachers to use before assigning textbook reading for their class. It helps both students and teachers gain information about student’s text-related prior knowledge.

The assessment part:◦ Helps the teacher to determine the amount of information

students know about a specific topic.◦ The amount of language the student uses, and ◦ How much additional information and vocabulary is needed

before the student successfully comprehends the text.

The activity part:◦ Includes exchange of opinions and group discussion.

Purpose Activates prior knowledge.

Generates interest in text to be read.

Helps to measure the level of background knowledge.

Helps to connect new topics or key concepts with previous knowledge.

Fosters group discussion.

Approaches reading with purpose and anticipation.

Materials Needed

Loose paper

Pencils

Board or chart paper

ProceduresThere are three phases to follow:I. The initial association with the

concept: ◦ Teacher tells students to say whatever

comes to mind related to the topic and teacher writes responses on the board.

II. Connections with initial associations: ◦ Students are asked what made them think

about their answer and express their reasons.

III. Reformulation of knowledge◦ Teacher asks students for any new ideas

before reading the text and refine their answers.

Summary of Book

Book written by Winfred Conkling

Tells the story of Sylvia Mendez & Aki Munemitsu

Teaches students cultural awareness, diversity, equality of education, and equality of opportunities.

Sylvia & Aki ...

Story takes place in California and Arizona years 1941-1945.

Period of time when the history of the USA changed.

We all remember the Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese one morning on December 7, 1941.

In the text Sylvia & Aki tell their stories of when life taught them a lot more than books.

Aki Aki was born in the USA of

Japanese descent.

Parents immigrated from Japan

to the USA in 1915.

Lived happily on a farm with her parents and brother, Seiko Lincoln, named after President Lincoln.

After December 7, 1941 her life changed forever when her family had to move to a Japanese internment camp in the Arizona desert.

Sylvia A Mexican and Puerto Rican

descendent.

Was born in the USA.

Moved from Santa Ana, California to Arizona to live in a leased asparagus farm.

She was denied to register at Westminster School due to her Mexican appearance.

She was sent to the Hoover School, only for Mexicans.

Sylvia & Aki Friendship Sylvia meets Aki when her father asked her

to go with him to drop the money for the leasing of the farm to the Munemitsu at the Internment camp.

They started their friendship through letters. They shared difficult experiences they faced through those years.

California & Arizona 1941-1945

Hateful signs posted around town made Sylvia feel like a second class person.

She felt empathy for Aki. Sylvia knew now how Aki felt when she read those hateful signs about Japs.

◦ JAPS GO HOME

◦ NO DOGS OR MEXICANS

On March 2, 1945 Sylvia’s father sued the school system. Gonzalo Méndez v. Westminster School District of Orange County.

Aki’s brother joined the arm forces. Her father joined Aki and her mother at the Camp waiting to return home soon.

August 7, 1945 the USA dropped the atomic bomb in Japan causing great sorrow at the Internment Camp.

California & Arizona 1945

There is no bad that something

good doesn’t come from it ~

Mexican Proverb Aki and her family went back to their farm.

Sylvia and Aki spent time together until the end of the summer.

They both agreed that despite the bad things their families went trough, something good came out. Their friendship and winning the lawsuit favoring many children in school.

As a symbol of friendship both girls exchanged their precious dolls and both went back to their normal life before December 1941.

Outcome

Mendez v. Westminster Case set the stage for the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka unanimously ruling that schools could no longer separate children by race.

Equality of education is the first step toward equality of opportunity.

Outcome Sylvia became a registered

nurse.

A school in Orange County was named after Sylvia’s parents.

In 2007, a U.S. postage stamp was issue honoring the 60th

anniversary of Mendez v. Westminster.

In 2011, President Obama awarded Sylvia the Medal of freedom.

Strategy at work First, students will be asked to divide loose

piece of paper given into three sections with titles: Phase I, Phase II, and Phase III.

Second, teacher will write a key concept related to the text we are about to read.

EQUALITY

Strategy at workPhase I ~ Initial association with concept:

I’ll ask students to think and write whatever comes to their mind related to the key concept written on the board.

After enough time is given to brainstorming, I will write their responses on the board or chart paper. Examples:

- Same for all - For US citizens

- Opposite of unequal - No difference

- Fair for all - Not singled out

Strategy at work

Phase II ~ Connections with initial associations I’ll ask students what made them think about their

answer and express their reasons. They might want to write some of their reasons and share them.

By listening to others opinions and interacting they could revise, reject, accept or change their initial opinions which should help create awareness of their network association. Examples: A right for all people (accept)

Only US citizens (reject)

Benefit to all people, no matter color, race, nationality, language, ethnic group, etc. (revise)

Strategy at workPhase III ~ Reformulation of knowledge After discussion and interaction was provided

during phase II. I will ask for associations made during the discussion. Also, any new ideas before reading the text. Examples:

Equality is a term that includes everyone and does not single out someone for their color, race,

nationality, ethnic group, language, neither their physical or mental abilities.

Answers given are more refined. Now students are ready to read with purpose

and anticipation.

After Reading Class will revisit the list of words and revise the answers given by students before reading the text. Make necessary adjustments to acquired

knowledge. List important changes made in our country

regarding equality in education. We can also visit additional material

connected to the story.◦ Video-Interview of Sylvia Mendez◦ Sylvia’s official website and podcasts, and◦ Other books written about Sylvia Mendez story

Sylvia & Aki ~ 2017

ReferencesLanger, Judith A. “From Theory to Practice: A Prereading Plan.” Journal of Reading, vol. 25, no. 2, 1981, pp. 152–156., www.jstor.org/stable/40030271.

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/osi04.soc.ush.civil.mendez/mendez-v-westminster-desegregating-californias-schools/#.WOYKh1K-J-U

http://deeperlearning.ocde.us/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ep.-01-Mendez-vs-Westminster.mp3