Secondary Content Teachers COMPREHENSION Extending Content beyond the Textbook   Reading Services Center

SUBJECT:	Reading Comprehension/Extending beyond Texts
COURSE OR GRADE:	Literature, Social Studies
GOAL:	This strategy enables students to develop a habit of wide reading to support content areas of study. Supports these Learner Characteristics: Sees value and use for knowledge and skills being learned Understands the value of learning to his/her future
WHO:	Content Area Teachers - Grades 4-12 Students who have difficulty generalizing learning beyond the classroom.
WHEN:	Use this procedure throughout the school year, as new units of study are introduced.
TEACHING PROCEDURES:	MODEL the process for the students: Choose a topic relating to current unit of study. Read articles from magazines, newspapers, books, pamphlets, manuals, the internet, etc., that pertain to the topic. Write two questions for the class to answer. One should be a fact, and the other should require students to do some thinking. Discuss with the class highlights of the articles and show how the information relates to the topic. Discuss the questions with the class. Teaching Tips Model the procedure. Present articles pertaining to a topic. Discuss the highlights of each and how the information relates to the topic. Present two questions from the information, one factual and one extended thinking. Show why they are factual or extended thinking. Provide strategy cards for students to refer to during guided practice. Check-up can be student participation in group extended reading.
STUDENT PRACTICE:	At the beginning of a new unit of study, have a group of 3-5 students choose a topic or subtopic from the unit. Students are to read articles from outside sources that relate to their topic and write two related questions. Provide students with the strategy card. Students present highlights of their reading to the class, explaining how their information relates to the topic. Questions are written on the board and discussed. (One question will appear on the unit test.)
CHECK-UP:	All students in the class have actively participated in group extended reading.
FOLLOW-UP:	Students should now be able to follow the procedure. Assign topics on an individual basis. For students having difficulty, give further guidance with the following: locating sources of information, determining information to share, and how to write the two types of questions.
STRATEGY CARD:	STUDENT STRATEGY CARD OUTSIDE READING STEP 1 Read articles from newspapers, magazines, books, pamphlets, manuals, the internet, etc. that pertain to the topic. STEP 2 Write two questions that the class needs to be able to answer. One question should be a fact. The other question should require them to do some thinking. STEP 3 Decide what information needs to be shared with the class. STEP 4 Present the information (highlights) to the class. STEP 5 Discuss the questions with the class.
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