This document outlines an agenda for a presentation on applying AVID Critical Reading strategies in middle school English Language Arts classes. The presentation will teach participants how to promote critical thinking, support collaboration, and prepare students for Socratic seminar discussions. The agenda includes an activity called Philosophical Chairs to discuss whether students need to be taught critical thinking skills. It also lists AVID reading standards and demonstrates marking a text by numbering paragraphs, circling key terms, and underlining claims. The presentation will conclude with a reflection on how participants can apply what they learned.

1. MS AVID/ELA:
Exploring Texts with
Strategic Reading
Dan Dawer
Pflugerville Middle School
August 15, 2014
View all sides for this
presentation at

2. Outcomes
Participants will understand how to
apply AVID Critical Reading strategies
in their Middle School ELA classes in
order to:
1. Promote critical thinking
2. Support collaboration between
learners
3. Prepare for a Socratic Seminar
discussion

3. Agenda
8:30 – 8:45: Philosophical Chairs
8:45 – 8:50: AVID Critical Reading
Standards at a Glance
8:50 – 9:20: Critical Reading in Action
9:20 – 9:35: Extend beyond the text:
Socratic Seminar
9:35 – 9:45: Reflection and Application

4. Philosophical Chairs
Decide whether you agree or disagree
with the statement below:
Students today lack the skills necessary
to think critically on their own. They
must be taught these skills in school.

5. Philosophical Chairs
Rules of Engagement
1. Listen carefully when others speak and seek
to understand their arguments even if you
don’t agree.
2. Only one person speaks at a time.
3. First, briefly summarize the previous
speaker’s argument before you make your
response.
4. Address ideas, not the person stating them.
5. Keep an open mind and move to the other
side or the undecided section if you feel that
someone made a good argument or your

6. AVID Reading-to-Learn
Standards
• Vocabulary
• Familiarity with a variety of texts and
text structures
• Reading strategies (marking the text,
numbering paragraphs)
• Summarizing
• Interpreting visuals

7. Choose any five words from the list
below to create an original sentence (on
a sticky note).
Teachers Recruitment Retention Schools
Students
Support Mentoring Induction Affluent
Poverty
Minority Reform Collaboration Feedback
Outcomes
Salaries Dissatisfaction Attrition Gap Parity

8. Marking the Text
1. Number paragraphs
2. Circle key terms
3. Underline author’s claims and other
relevant information

9. Socratic Seminar
 Listen
No one can speak while someone else is
speaking.
 Build
Speakers must try to build on what others say,
not debate their views.
 Refer to the text
Speakers must refer directly to the section of the
text from which their ideas come rather than
making general comments or observations.