I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Strategies

Essential Question:

How is being aware of context clues an aid for increasing reading comprehension?

Bridge:

“The Missing Piece”

Content:

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: To involve students in an experience where they need to use context to solve a problem.

Activity: Working in small teams, students make Pictionary cards with their weekly spelling words. Teacher starts Pictionary game with whole class; small teams continue playing each other.

Assessment: Degree of student enjoyment and success.

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: To analyze Pictionary game with focus on CLUES for success and OBSERVATION skills.

Activity: Teacher leads discussion on Pictionary activity. Students identify How they found the answers, what Clues they relied upon, and what Observations helped them. Teacher charts their responses.

Assessment: Contribution to the group discussion.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: To connect students to their need for attending to clues during independent reading.

Activity: Teacher reads The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein. Students close eyes and relax while teacher conducts guided imagery in which students picture themselves reading a book. What happens when they read a story? Are there ever pieces missing? Are there other pieces that help you figure out the story? Teacher brings class together in a discussion accompanied by a mindmap categorizing students' reading experiences.

Assessment: Quality of involvement and contribution to discussion and mindmap.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: To teach the utility of context clues when reading.

Activity: Using overhead transparencies teacher presents concept of context clues. Sentence patterns of three sentences apiece are presented which lead students (1) to make an observation which leads (2) to a generalization which leads (3) to identifying clues for NAMES (capital letters, pronouns), PLACES (synonyms) and VOCABULARY (synonyms). Students read chapter in text which defines context clues.

Assessment: Teacher checking for understanding.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: To reinforce ability to use context clues when reading.

Activity: 1. Students complete practice exercises in text. Teacher introduces additional guided practice using Specific Skills for Context Clues, Level D. 2. Students will each make a Context Poster. Their task is to find five new vocabulary words. The words are written in sentences or short paragraph, using context clues, with an accompanying illustration. Posters are exchanged with classmates who try to guess meaning of unfamiliar words from the context clues and pictures.

Assessment: Quality of student exercises from text and their additional practice sheets. Quality of Context Posters.

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Students will apply what they have learned.

Activity: Students will create puzzle books to share with each other. The books will contain student illustrations of situations that use another five new vocabulary words. Fellow classmates will guess at the meaning of the new words.

Assessment: Quality of effort put into project.

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: To evaluate and revise project.

Activity: Students work in response groups and share their writing and illustrations. Teacher encourages editing and revisions from input students receive from each other. Final copy Puzzle Books are published.

Assessment: Ability to work with peers and refine and improve one's work. Ability to honor the work of others.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: To complete and share projects. To enjoy each other's work.

Activity: Students share their books.

Assessment: Quality of completed projects, and enjoyment of the learning.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: