Science Content + Literacy Skills = Power-Packed Instruction

This session shows how to use one reading passage several times for several different purposes. Students will revisit the text, each time with a different focus, to build fluency and to reinforce content information. You have one passage, five activities, and many ways to integrate reading and writing with science content…and all you have to do is duplicate a passage for your students. Materials are simple. Students will need: A reading passage blank index cards The rest of the work is in the students’ hands with self-directed learning!

Activity #1 Priority Vocabulary 1. Have students do a quick scan of the passage. 2. Instruct each group or pair to highlight the 12 words they consider to be most important to understand about the ecosystem. 3. Debrief as a class. Have each group in turn name one of their highlighted words as you list them on a chart until all words have been recorded. 4. Although there are no implicitly right or wrong answers, you may wish to show a highlighted example to the class to compare the sample to their choices. 5. The purpose of this activity is to have students use the vocabulary, discuss the terms, analyze the importance of the terms, and revisit the text. Students may make changes to their word lists, but remind them that there are many correct possibilities.

Activity #2 Gist Statements 1. Have students read the passage to create a summary by extracting the main idea of each paragraph. 2. Provide each group with 4 index cards (one for each paragraph.) 3. Instruct each student to read the first paragraph silently. 4. Have each group discuss the content and state the main idea of the paragraph in 10 words or less. 5. When the group comes to a consensus on the wording, a student records it on an index cards. 6. Students continue the procedure with the remaining 4 paragraphs. 7. Each student refers back to the index cards to write a summary of the entire passage using the extracted information.

Activity #3 Creating Word Cards 1. Distribute 12 index cards to each group. 2. Instruct each group to divide the cards and highlighted words among the group members. 3. Have students write each of their assigned words on a separate card, adding an illustration to it. 4. Collect the cards from each group and store for use with activities #4 - #7.

Activity #4 Triple Terms 1. Distribute the Word Cards from Activity #3 to each group. 2. Instruct one group member to randomly select three Word Cards and place them for the group to view. 3. The student then creates a sentences using all three words and these guidelines: The sentence must be factually accurate. The words can be used in any order. Different forms of the word can be used.

All organisms in a population need energy. Activity #4 Triple Terms, continued For example, if the student selects these words: A possible sentence is: All organisms in a population need energy. 4. The student shuffles the cards back into the stack and the next group member takes a turn.

Activity #5 Writing Challenge 1. Distribute the Word Cards from Activity #3 to each group. 2. Instruct the group members to randomly select six Word Cards and place them for the group to view. 3. The students work together to construct a paragraph about ecosystems in which all of the words are used correctly.

Science Content + Literacy Skills = Power-Packed Instruction Cynthia Holcomb ESC Region 13 cynthia.holcomb@esc13.txed.net Activity #1 Priority Vocabulary Activity #2 Gist Statements Activity #3 Creating Word Cards Activity #4 Triple Terms Activity # 5 Writing Challenge