Transcript Slide 1

Mining for Meaning: Using
Reading, Thinking, and Writing
Strategies to Appeal to the
Intellect
• Genius without
education is like
silver in the mine.
Reading
Writing
How is “thinking” like a
miner’s helmet?
How is “reading” like a
miner’s lamp?
How is “writing” like a miner’s
pickaxe?
Thinking
All social scientist employ a variety of key cognitive
skills from the science, mathematics and language arts.
They use an interdisciplinary approach to
understanding human behavior, organizations,
institutions, beliefs, and attitudes across time and
space.
Courses with highly technical language or content
specific vocabulary can introduce as many as 3,000
words unfamiliar to high school students. This
staggering amount exceeds the number of words
taught in most foreign language classes.
(Holliday, William G. “Helping Students Learn
Effectively From Text”, 1991)
Feldman and Kinsella explain
that teachers must discriminate in
their choices and focus on either
“words that are related to the
central lesson concepts or words
that have general utility in
academic context” (2005)
• Concepts:
• Jargon:
• Words that are specific to the subject area
and are frequently taught to students at
particular age and proficiency levels
• Related worlds that might help engage in
academic discourse about the topic and
ideas or themes
• “Big Idea” words that get
at the central concept
addressed the text or
lesson
• General academic words
that are commonly used
and applied across the
content areas and grade
level
Receptive Vocabulary
• Includes words that we
recognize when we
hear or see them.
Expressive Vocabulary
• Words that we use
when we speak or write.
• Students typically have
a larger receptive
vocabulary than
expressive vocabulary
Sharecroppers became a symbol of the
discrimination against minority groups that the
Civil Rights movement tried to address in lawsuits
and in primary elections. Protests and
demonstrations were used to call attention to the
way minorities groups were badgered and hurt by
those in power. Their goal was to integrate
minority groups like African-Americans, woman,
and Hispanics so that they could enjoy all the
rights and privileges in American life. New laws
established by the Civil Rights movement
established exciting new territories for minorities
to explore and enjoy.
Working with your group, take the definition cards and place
them in the order that the words appear in this summary
statement.
• What minority group
do you see in this
picture?
• What other minority
group do you see?
• What would you have
to do to integrate this
picture?
• How does this scene
demonstrate
discrimination?
Page 9
• What are the most
• What are the most
common reasons Social
common forms of writing in
Studies teachers avoid
the Social Studies
using writing in instruction?
classroom?
Why should all
students write:
Because
writing is
thinking!
• Requires analysis
and synthesis
• Makes you refine
ideas
• Requires you to
clarify, organize and
express
• Allows you to reach
and express deeper
understanding
Once we have a basic understanding, we need
opportunities to talk and write about what we are learning.
At this point, we might begin to understand.
Writing –to-learn activities can be used to help students
reflect on and explore ideas and concepts they are reading
about in class, thereby helping students to construct
meaning. These writing activities are intended to be brief
and can be assigned at any point during the class period.
Within you group and using your slate, compare the
three tab books. What similarities and differences do
you see in the books?
What are the advantages for struggling writers to this
approach?
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