Reading Through Different Lenses: Making Text Connections Across the Curriculum

Instead of using printouts, you may use the interactive ReadWriteThink Notetaker tool to record student responses. Ask students to begin a new Main Section, with each of the three parts in the printout appearing as an added subsection. Questions from each of the three parts of the printout should appear as subentries under each Main Section.

If you are using ReadWriteThink Notetaker, also have students click on the Notes button and type "Vocabulary" at the top. Under this heading, have students type any words (a) that they haven't seen before, (b) whose meaning they are unsure of, and (c) that have a familiar meaning that doesn't make sense in the context. Give students several minutes to reread the passage and collect vocabulary. Discuss the words students have identified or have students use a dictionary to find definitions. (If you are not using ReadWriteThink Notetaker, the last page of the printout has a box for vocabulary.)

Move to the Experiential Meaning section of the printout and model with students how they would answer the first question. (Be sure to review the definitions of experiential, textual, and interpersonal meaning.) If you are using ReadWriteThink Notetaker, have students begin with a Main Section (label as Experiential Meaning) and create subheadings as they move through the section.

Ask students to look at the text and identify sentences using forms of the verb "to be." If you are using an interactive whiteboard, you may want to highlight these sentences on the projected text. Students can write the numbers to identify the sentences. In Sample Science Text, numbers 1, 2, 4, and 6 use some form of "to be."

Now that students have identified a number of definitions and processes in the passage, ask them to consider the passage as a whole and then to summarize in a sentence or two in their own words what the entire passage is saying about thermometers. (Example response: Thermometers are instruments or tubes that can measure temperature because the liquids inside of them expand as the temperature increases.)

Proceed to the Textual Meaning section. Students should create a new Main Idea heading in the ReadWriteThink Notetaker. You may continue guiding and modeling responses for students.

Explain that many sentences that use a form of "to be" are definitions. Ask students if any of these sentences look like definitions of words. If they answer "yes," have them identify the definitions. (Again, they may use sentence numbers).

Ask students to consider if there are bigger ideas or concepts (thermal expansion) and smaller ideas (thermometers are glass tubes), as noted in Textual Meaning.

Ask students to consider whether big ideas are introduced first or last in the second paragraph of Sample Science Text. As you guide students through the text, note that the specific idea of what a thermometer is and what it contains is introduced first and then the big concept of thermal expansion is introduced. (Note how the text circles back to the specific substances in thermometers). By recognizing how the larger idea relates to the smaller, students should be able to identify which pyramid of organization is used.

Ask students to consider the subjects within the text. Is the language of the excerpt active or passive? Are the people or things that are subjects in sentences taking actions or are they receiving the actions? The language of this particular passage is mostly active ("particles move").

Ask students if they see a theme in the text (or overarching purpose or idea). Students may identify the idea that temperature can be measured because of thermal expansion.

Move to the Interpersonal Meaning section. Ask students to create a new Main Idea in ReadWriteThink Notetaker.

Ask students if they see any action verbs. Students should be able to identify several action verbs (measure, increases, expand, etc.). Explain that phrases and sentences containing action verbs often describe processes.

Ask students if the author is asking questions or seems to express uncertainty or doubt in the passage by using words such as "maybe" or "possibly." In this excerpt, the author uses some words that express uncertainty such as "can," "often," and the word "many" as opposed to "all." Explain that these uncertain words and phrases imply that there may be exceptions to the general principle.

Next, ask students if they see any commands, directions, or suggestions. In this particular passage, the author is not giving directions to the reader.

Moving on, ask students if they see sentences that are neither uncertain nor commanding. These sentences would be statements of fact (such as sentences 4-7). Explain that we tend to see many of these statements in scientific texts (students would circle "Statements").

Next, ask students whether the author seems to know a lot or a little about the topic? Students should realize that the author seems to be an expert.

In the last entry, students should ask themselves whether the author is trying to convince them that they should believe an idea or that they should do something. In other words, is the author trying to persuade? Because most of the sentences are statements of fact, with few exceptions, the author is not likely trying to persuade the reader.