Reading Strategies

Before Reading

During Reading After Reading

Learning Vocabulary

Strategy Demonstration

Before Reading
This following strategy demonstration is designed to be an introductory lesson to the Social Studies grade six unit of study Canada: Why Do We Settle?. The suggested activities incorporate a variety of suggestions made by Daniels & Zemelman (2004) that are intended to help prepare students to read the assigned textbook and supplemental reading material that has been chosen to support this particular unit of study.

Preparing Students To Read

Canada: Why Do We Settle?

Goals

Observe, question and infer what is happening in a visual text, getting students focused and activating prior knowledge in preparation for upcoming reading in the unit of study. Visual/Spatial, Verbal/Linguistic

Multiple Intelligence Focus

Supporting Intelligences

Interpersonal, Intrapersonal

Social Studies

Arrival
Checking Prior Knowledge 1. Ask students how many of them were born
in Calgary? 2. Ask students how many of them were from another province? 3. Ask students how many of them came from another country? 4. Ask students to pair with a person from a different place than they came from. Discuss why you think people come or came to Canada. 5. In a large group discussion, ask students to share their responses.

Point of Entry/Hook
Show Shaun Tans picture The Suitcase from his book The Arrival, ask students to independently observe what is happening in the picture. Visual Imagery allows students with Visual/Spatial intelligence as well as students struggling with written text the ability to enter into the learning space through the same window as their peers in preparation for the assigned reading.

Visual Imagery

The Suitcase

(Tan, S. The suitcase. Pencil on Paper. webshot. n.d.)

Structuring The Task

KWL
1. Introduce the strategy of a KWL to the students based on suggestions made by Daniels & Zemelman (2004). Inform students that we want to inquire what they already know, what they would like to learn followed with what they have learned over the course of the unit on why people settle in Canada. As pointed out by Daniels & Zemelman (2004) the K part is often easier for students in comparison to formulating the W questions, therefore, the photograph is meant to be a key tool in helping students activate their prior knowledge and understanding of the topic.

2.

Ask student to begin to record in their notebooks what they already know about why people settled in Canada. In addition, ask students to observe what is happening in the photograph and record in the same column. In a whole class discussion have students share what they have recorded and document on the SMART board under the heading What we know and have observed.

3. Ask students to work in groups of 3-4, to discuss what questions they have about what appears to be happening in the picture and will be investigated throughout the unit. Questions need to be focused on a Who, What, Where, Why and How not I wonder if... to avoid simple yes and no answers. Share questions with the larger group, document on the SMART board under the heading What we want to find out.

4. Ask students to return to their groups and discuss what are some potential maybes based on what they observed in the photograph and what questions they asked. Share inferences and maybes with the larger group, document. 5. Ask students if any of them connect to the picture. Have any of them moved from another country? Have they heard stories from a family member or friend about leaving their home country and coming to Canada? 6. Why do you think the young man is moving? What do you think will happen to the young man? What do you think will happen to the young woman?

Looking Back and Reflecting

Ask students to imagine that they are the young man in the photograph. In their journals, ask students to write a diary entry about the day that the photograph was captured.
Variations: A student can have an adult scribe for them. Students can video/audio tape his/her answers using dragon dictation, flip camera, Photobooth etc...

Bridging Forward
Look back at the documented responses.
Creating A Dramatic Role Play

Invite students to participate in creating a role play that describes an immigrants journey in four steps.
Step One - In groups of four ask students to create a role play that illustrates one of the reasons to leave. Step Two Getting ready to leave. Step Three How one travels to a new country. Step Four The new country, what is it like?

Assessment
Journal responses. Role play participation and responses.

References
Daniels, H., & Zemelman, S. (2004). Subjects matter: Every teachers guide to content-area reading. [CafeScribe]. Retrieved from https://reader.cafescribe.com/reader/Reader.html Tan, S. (2006). The arrival. Broadway, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books. Tan, S. (n.d). The Suitcase [Pencil on paper]. Retrieved from http://www.shauntan.net/books/the-

arrival.html