2010+IDEAS

[] (with narration)

[] (without narration)

[] (with narration – link to text type – info text)

The above are links to 3 videos from Nat Geog for Kids. These are some possibilities for their use in class mixing print and internet bases work.

The video on the bottle nosed dolphin can be used firstly as a an LC ex. Come up with questions for pupils. The questions (not too many) can be posed b4 playing the video so you set a purpose for listening. You may also want to ask them to write down what were the important points they got from the video. Pairs of pupils or small group could replay the videos and jot down what they thought were important points. Then ask them how they knew what was important to take note of. Everything seems important! Tell them its almost impossible without a purpose or focus.

You may use the attached to document to help them understand the importance of having a purpose in reading. Some of you may have seen it already.



You might also have a writing task where they try to transpose the narrative into written form. Here, you might want to identify a particular audience or text type (magazine article for 8 year olds) you want them to transform the original narration to. As a reflection process, you could ask them to think about the changes they had to make and explain why.

The 2nd video without narration is more challenging. They have to write an accompanying narrative to accompany the video. this would involve some research into the subject. There is now a context and purpose to their writing work. You may want again, to provide an audience and purpose for the piece. Pupils then can narrate (read aloud) their narration accompanying the video. (make sure the video is ready or there may be lag) If you can embed videos within your wikis, that is another possibility.

I used the 3rd video together with the information text on tasmanian devils from our INfo Text package. I used it in conjunction with the comprehension strategy of Activating and Applying Prior Knowledge (PK) to our reading. Also, informed pupils that I was helping them acquire PK. we also discussed the differences of print and video (a bit of media literacy)- what impact or effect it would have on viewers/readers and why?

media type="custom" key="5138479"

I embeded this video from the link form Nat Geog below (there). Why is there no narrative to accompany the video? Instead there are words in different fonts and forms flashed on the screen. What do you think the filmmakers decided on this ? What is the effect?

Go here or [|there] for NAt Geogs page of listing for their videos.

Some theoretical stuff underpinning the ideas above - text transformation

What is involved in such an exercise is:
 * 1) reading and understanding the source text,
 * 2) noting the genre of the source text, including identification of the reader/writer relationship and text purpose,
 * 3) noting the results of generic factors on the content, organisation and language of the source text,
 * 4) identifying the genre of the new text, and deciding on how generic factors will affect content, organisation and language of the new text,
 * 5) selecting relevant material from the source text, and
 * 6) using this material to write the new text, taking into account the decisions made about appropriate content, organisation and language.

These are samples of worksheets I use to help my pupils read more strategically and with more focussed engagement. This is a worksheet I used with a passage on stranded whales.



I used this worksheet combining 2 cloze passages. I used 2 passages at one time because I wanted the pupils to compare the different ways they approached each cloze. One was a narrative and one was a poem. I wanted them to think about the different ways they approached each text; the PK they activated and how they looked for clues etc.



In a nutshell, (non-exhaustive one though) of a strategic approach to reading - pre, during and post)

This is a guide I use when I go about preparing and scaffolding my pupils in learning, understanding and applying the reading strategies I want them to use year round. Please modify where necessary. It 'reorientates' their understanding and appreciation of what takes place in reading. It also takes time and patience and reorientating ones own practice.