Getting Their Attention:
Activating & Assessing
Background Knowledge
Dr. Coiro – EDC448
Connect Two
FRONTLOAD
USE AN ENTRANCE TICKET
ACTIVATE
BACKGROUND
KNOWLEDGE
READ PART OF A PICTURE BOOK
ALOUD IN CLASS
BUILD
BACKGROUND
KNOWLEDGE
BUILD INTENTIONAL
CONNECTIONS BTW. PERSONAL
LIVES & CONCEPTS
ASSESS
BACKGROUND
KNOWLEDGE
BRAINSTORM CONNECTIONS IN A
SMALL GROUP & SHARE
Entrance Ticket (Reading Guide 2)
Last class:
Writing learning objectives
 Concise (1 sentence), precise and measurable verbs,
link to higher-level learning
 Content Objective: What should your students know
and understand (K, U) to demonstrate their contentarea learning?
 Reading/Thinking Objective: What thinking/reading
processes may be hard that you can model, scaffold,
and provide opportunities for practice as a stepping
stone for students to successfully achieve their content
objective? (DO – how to think metacognitively?)
Today’s Objectives
 Reflect and “weigh in” on the use of several
types of activities for activating & assessing
background knowledge
 Reflect on the use of picture books and readaloud strategies in a content-area classroom
(different from think-aloud)
Activating Background Knowledge
(Your personal reactions on VoiceThread)
 Using Picture Books with Adolescents (pros/cons) G is for Google;
International Children’s Digital Library (and in math)
 Connect Two: Connect pairs of words from easy & hard column to
create a sentence (Possible sentences: use words to write possible
sentences, then verify T/F or IDK)
 First-Person Reading: students read themselves into a text
 Eyewitness Testimony Charts (react to live interaction: I was there)
 First Impressions (react to text in first person)
 See Yourself in Pictures (react as person in the picture)
 K-W-L Plus: “plus” > group what you learned to summarize
 Story Impressions: Brainstorm connections to chain of clues; ** revisit
to confirm or revise to make accurate!
K-W-N-S for Math
BASEBALL SAVED US - p. 1
 One day, my dad looked out at the endless desert and decided
then and there to build a baseball field. He said people needed
something to do in Camp. We weren’t in a camp that was fun, like
summer camp. Ours was in the middle of nowhere, and we were
behind a barbed-wire fence. Soldiers with guns made sure we
stayed there, and the man in the tower saw everything we did, no
matter where we were.
 As Dad began walking over the dry, cracked dirt, I asked him again
why we were here.
 “Because,” he said, “American is at war with Japan, and the
government thinks that Japanese Americans can’t be trusted. But
it’s wrong that we’re in here. We’re Americans too!” Then he made
a mark in the dirt and mumbled something about where the infield
bases should be.
 FIRST IMPRESSIONS?…. (Author’s Words…My Impressions)
Life Interrupted
FDR Speech
A More Perfect Union
Anticipating Math Content –
Me / Text Statements
Anticipating Science Content: Asking
focused questions before & after
Using Post-It Notes for Quick
Assessments about Challenging Areas
 Have students skim material prior to
reading and mark the spot where they
first get stuck with a post-it note.
 This informs Jane about students'
specific difficulties with the
reading and helps her plan
instruction.
Electronic Anticipation Guides –
Integrating websites before, during,
and after reading/learning
http://www.lite.iwarp.com/strugtech4.html
Electronic Anticipation Guides
 ADD IMAGE
Visualizing the
setting and noting
how the seasonal
changes may impact
the main character
Issue #2: It would be difficult to have your closest
companion for a whole year be a wild animal.
Movies of baby
peregrine falcon
History of falconry
Daily journal of
peregrine falcon
 ADD FIRST AID IMAGES
Connecting to Real Authors
Connect to an
author’s real
life experiences…
Listen to your
favorite author
speak, join them
on their travels
through photos,
and even watch
them on video!
Live Stream Video: Individualizing
Learning with Technology
Sharing your ideas on
our class wiki
Getting Their Attention:
Activating & Assessing
Background Knowledge
Part 2
Dr. Coiro – EDC448
Homework from last class
 Blog Post #4: Choose your lesson plan text and draft
two learning objectives for your lesson plan
 Explore Wiki Resources at
http://edc448uri.wikispaces.com/InteractiveWebsites
and post your comments about two of the websites in
your content area.
 To post wiki comments: You need to login as a
member first! Then Click Edit, type, sign your name,
then Click Save. Be prepared to share with your
colleagues in our next class.
Sharing your ideas on
our class wiki
Today’s Workshop Objectives
 Use the Internet to locate online interactive resources
related to topics in your curriculum
 Develop and exchange ideas for how to use Internet
resources to activate PK and engage students with
your content Before, During, and After your instruction
 Use the Internet to collaboratively compile resources,
generate ideas, and share instructional ideas with your
colleagues (on a wiki, google docs, and/or our blog
posts on the Ning!)
More ideas for “Getting Their
Attention”
 You will use Google Docs as another collaborative tool
which can be edited by multiple users at the same time
– you will access through our wiki
Picture Books (links on wiki)
 SCIENCE: NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books
 HISTORY: Nonfiction History Trade Books for Teens
 LANGUAGE: International Children’s Digital Library
 ENGLISH: Using Picture Books as Framing Texts for
Research Papers
 ALL: Teaching with Picture Books (blog) including
Ways to Share Picture Books and 13 Reasons to Read
Picture Books with Older Students
Collaborative Workshop
 Exploring Interactive Websites with the Laptops (1 per
person) HISTORY & ENGLISH
 15 min: Search for websites on your lesson plan topic (webquest,
simulation, interactive, quiz, museum)
 15 min: Share the wiki ideas you posted for homework
 Exploring Picture Books (2 laptops per group) SCIENCE,
MATH, AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE
 20 min: Explore picture books in your content area
 10 min: Post reflections on Google Docs
 Exchanging Anticipation Guide Topics for Homework/Next
Class Assignment (10 mins)
Homework
 Read #9 Wood et al: Extended Anticipation Guide
 Complete draft part of Extended Anticipation Guide (5
statements for your topic, 5 statements for your
partners) and locate a relevant website for each topic
 Come to class next Tuesday prepared to meet with
your partner, decide on “5 best statements” and use the
laptops to create your Guide.
 Keep collecting/annotating resources for your Diverse
Text Assignment (Due March 9)
Uses of Anticipation Guides
 Math: Me/Text Statements
 Science: Asking focused questions before and
after reading
 Post-it notes for quick assessments about
challenging areas
Trying It Out
 TODAY: Meet with a partner – share your “issues text” and
discuss key issues to anticipate
 Take notes to help with your homework
 FOR HOMEWORK:
 Read Wood Extended Antic. State. Guide for ideas
 Write 5 anticipatory statements for your topic
 Write 5 anticipatory statements for partner’s topic
 Locate a website that might supplement each reading –
post on the Ning to make it easier to get to during class
 NEXT CLASS: Meet back with your partner to share ideas
and websites; pick 5 best statements and design a
worksheet on the laptops
Reflections on Think-Aloud
Assignments
 Example - American History: Spanish-American War (The
Destruction of the USS Maine)
 (after reading) Why would tensions between Spain and Cuba
have anything to do with the U.S.? How did America become
involved? It says here that Americans were killed or executed
on the ship Virginius after it was captured. Americans were
probably upset that their own country men were killed by
Spain because of fighting with Cuba. In the next paragraph, it
says that Cubans were starting to death. America must have
felt the need to intervene on behalf of the Cubans, but this
was probably fueled by the deaths of Americans at Spanish
hands.
 Determining important ideas, asking questions, and
predicting, inferring
Reflections on Think-Aloud
Assignments
 Example – English – Dream Deferred (Langston
Hughes)
 I don’t know what the word “deferred” means. It seems
like the author is really worried that “deferred” could
happen to his dreams. I don’t think he’s talking about
dreams he has while he’s sleeping. I think he’s talking
more about his goals. It seems like if he “defers his
goals, then something bad will happen. So, maybe he’s
afraid that he won’t get a chance to do his goals.
 Asking questions, inferencing
Reflections on Think-Aloud
Assignments
 Example: English: Reality & Myth in Garcia
Marquez
 So, we’re getting an idea of where the authors comes
from. His Columbian roots must have had a big
influence on his work. It says Marquez studied law so
he must be pretty smart. He’s also very cultured since
he’s been to and lived in so many places. Let’s see
what else this says about Latin American reality in
Marquez’ work.
 Predicting and restating/summarizing ideas
Reflections on Think-Aloud
Assignments
 Example: American History: WWII
 After reading this, I noticed the Japanese and American
leaders both had something in common. They both
tried to prepare their pilots for battle by saying their
country or emperor needs you and is counting on you
to succeed. This reminds me of cheerleading in high
school. My captain would tell us this before a game to
inspire and motivate the crowd to cheer on our team.
Have you ever been counted on for something?
 Making connections
Make sure you have your
“issues” text selected – you
will need it for the next class
assignment