Exploros | Let’s Read an Article

Engage

Overview

In this experience, students prepare to read and comprehend nonfiction writing. They generate questions and make predictions in advance, so they know what to look for to deepen their understanding of the content. Then they read and correct or confirm those predictions using a structured approach.

Objectives

Examine the features of a nonfiction text before reading it.
Ask questions and make predictions about text before reading it.
Ask questions and confirm predictions while reading.

Duration

One class period.

Vocabulary Words Used in the Article

colossus: something that is bigger than life size
lighthouse: tall structure with a bright light to safely guide ships to shore
structure: building
tomb: grave
Pharaoh: Ancient Egyptian king
mortar: mixture of sand and stone
quarry (pl. quarries): a large pit from which stone is removed
foundation: base or bottom
lever: bar resting on pivot used to lift heavy objects
mummify: to wrap a body in cloth to preserve it
sarcophagus (pl. sarcophagi): stone coffin

Sometimes reading is a casual activity. You may click through to a digital story that interests you, flip through a magazine, or pick up a book to read for fun. When reading for entertainment, you might learn some new vocabulary. You’ll probably pick up some ideas through the characters and themes. But these are not your primary goals; you are simply reading for enjoyment. When you read for school, though, it’s a different story.

When you read material assigned for school, you read to learn. You read to gather information. You read actively, with a plan to answer questions or maybe even complete an assignment. In this experience, you will learn how to approach this material.

Objectives

Examine the features of a nonfiction text before reading it.
Ask questions and make predictions about text before reading it.
Ask questions and confirm predictions while reading

Sometimes when you read, your mind might wander. People, devices, or the outside world might distract you. And when you’re distracted, you can’t absorb information. Your eyes may continue to pass over the words, but the words are not completely absorbed into the brain. Reading for school requires a different kind of attention than reading for fun.

But there are ways to read more actively, to stay present as a reader and absorb the information. As with many other methods of doing your best, it involves planning ahead.

What do you do to get ready to read a school assignment?

Post your answer

Students will learn some of the following prereading steps in this experience:

Set aside sufficient time.
Go somewhere quiet to concentrate.
Be prepared to take notes on what you’re reading.
Be prepared to look up unfamiliar words.
Be prepared to seek out more information to explain confusing or interesting elements.
Consider why the teacher assigned this reading.
Think about the information in the title.
Skim through the text.
Review illustrations and standout text elements, such as chapter titles, charts, and graphs.
Ask someone who has read the material what to look for.
Develop questions to keep in mind while reading.
Make predictions about what will be in the material.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.