1. Success on the OSSLT: GRAPHIC TEXTS

2. Why am I hearing this in all my classes? Isn’t this an English test?
NO--it’s a reading and writing skills test.
You use reading and writing skills in ALL your subjects.
Most of what you will do on the test is NON-FICTION reading and writing. 

3. Three types of Reading Tasks
1. Informational Texts (225 to 250 words)
-paragraph
-news report
2. Narrative Texts ( 550 to 600 words)
-real-life narrative
-dialogue
3. Graphic Text (fewer than 150 words)

4. R Two types of reading questions:
multiple choice: choose the right answer from the four given
open response: write your answer on the blank lines they give you

5. Three Reading Skills Tested (p. 3) 1. Reading “on the lines”
2. Reading “between the lines”
3. Reading “beyond the lines”

6. The OSSLT questions are LOADED
…in a good way. They are LOADED WITH CLUES for you about:
the type of reading skill they’re testing
where to find the answer
how to give the answer  

7. Reading “on the lines:” right there in the text—just find it.   
According to the text…
Who is…
Where is…
How is…
When is/was…
What is/was….
If it sounds like there is a definite answer, it’s probably
“on the lines.”

8. Reading Between the Lines
Reading “between the lines:” the answer isn’t right there: reread and use clues to come up with the best, most reasonable, most probable, most likely answer. Be a detective (or a scientist).
The most likely…
The best answer…
Why…
What could….
Who might…
If it sounds like you are being asked to make the best choice or reasoned guess, it is probably “between the lines.”

9. Reading Beyond the Lines
 These questions will ask you to connect your own knowledge to what is presented in the text.  Be an expert.
Why do you think …
What is the purpose of…
Use your own ideas to explain…
Explain whether or not…
If it asks for an opinion, addresses “you”, and asks you to explain, you need to go “outside” the ideas in the text and think about that topic.

10. Another Success Secret: use strategies before you start to read
1. Preview the text passage first by skimming it. This will give you an overall impression of what it is going to be about.
2. Look carefully at the photograph or diagram. That will give you clues to the meaning of the text.
3. Next, read the questions. This will give you some things to notice or look for when you read the text passage.

11. Reading Tasks GRAPHIC TEXTS (less than 150 words)
- presents ideas and information with the help of graphic features, such as diagrams, photographs, drawings, sketches, patterns, timetables, maps, charts or tables

12. A graphic text is DESIGNED and STRUCTURED (purposely) to help you understand the information.
Let’s test that hypothesis.

13. What process is each describing?
1. What is similar about these two? A1 A2 A3 A1 A2 A3
2. What is different about these two?
What process is each describing?

14. What is each graphic describing?
1. What is similar about these two? A B C A B C
2. What is different about these two?
What is each graphic describing?

15. What is each graphic describing?
 1. What is similar about these two?
2. What is different about these two?
What is each graphic describing? A Y X X Y A

16. 3 2 1 2. What is different? What is each describing? 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 1. What is similar about these two?
2. What is different? 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3
What is each describing?

17. Examining a Graphic Text:
A. Features of the text:
1 a) How many text boxes are there?
b) What is the purpose of the text boxes?
c) How do the headings in some of the text boxes help you as a reader?
2. a) How many different graphic elements are there? What are they?
b) Graphic elements usually have labels. Give two examples from the text.

18. Examining a Graphic Text:
B. Help yourself “match up” text & graphics:
The text boxes contain important information. You can help yourself as you are reading by “matching up” words and graphics. You can draw arrows from the words in the text box to the graphics on your page.

19. Reading Graphic Texts: TIPS
You can start reading anywhere on the text.
You often read graphic texts from the bottom up.
Skim the graphics first, then:
graphics  words  graphics words
Make notes, draw arrows, write on the text

20. As a group: Take a close look at the two different graphic
texts from previous OSSLT (Copies
can be found in your student package).
For each graphic, discuss:
(question sheet can be found in your student package).
What is the title of the graphic text?
What is the text mainly about? What tells you that?
What is the purpose of the graphic text?
What is a good way to read this text? Where would you start? Does it matter?
What features do the texts have that help you to read them easily?
What are the implications of this graphic text on your own life?