The document provides guidance for teaching a 6th grade class about Marie Curie using various reading strategies. It recommends activating students' prior knowledge through questions, predictions and discussions of what they already know about Curie's time period and occupation. During reading, it suggests using think-alouds, identifying key sentences, making new predictions and addressing unfamiliar vocabulary. Post-reading activities include a KWL chart, class discussion, reflections and explaining how the information can benefit students in the future. The strategies are meant to engage students and improve their comprehension of the biography text.

1. Sayward Lowry - RED4348 - CA1
Marie Curie By Vicki Cobb
FEAP #2 – Instructional Design and Lesson Planning

2. Question Everything & Predict

3. Beginning a reading with students can easily start with asking some general
questions about the topic of the book.
In this way, a teacher can begin to determine how much information the
students already possess.
Using predictions will also begin to engage and interest students in the text.
Allowing the students to guess what they think the book is about or why Marie
Curie is so well known will get them involved and spark their interest in reading
the text to find out if their correct.
There are many interesting questions about Marie Curie; however, the following
are geared more toward 6th Grade students:
1.) What time period Marie Curie live in?
2.) What was Marie Curie’s occupation?
3.) What did she do that made her known enough to have a biography
written about her?
#1

4. Activating prior knowledge will begin the process of students thinking and comprehending the text as they
read it, rather than just seeing the words without creating a meaning and story behind them (Bursuck &
Damer, 2015).
One way in which to activate this invaluable door into a child’s mind is by directing them to the text’s front and
back covers. Using the questions asked earlier in the Question Everything section, a teacher may allude to
the small photos lining the top portion of Marie Curie’s biography and ask the students if they can determine
the answers from what they see.
Some identifying signs for the time period would include the dress and color of the photographs, as well as
the machines Marie is using on the back cover. Matching the students prior knowledge of what the 19th and
early 20th century looked liked will help them to create a picture of what Marie’s life was like and how
amazing it was she was able to do all she did in what a 21st century child may think looks archaic.
“It takes knowledge to gain knowledge” -E.D. Hirsch.
#2

5. #3
Summarizing the main points of the text before reading
will give the students a brief overview of what their going
to learn.
In this way the information is distributed in small, digestible increments so as
not to overwhelm them.
Analyzing the specific parts of Marie’s life will give the students a small taste of
her personality and ambitions (Pesacreta, 2017). However, it would be best
not to elaborate on the larger aspects of her scientific feats, unless the
students already know them, so that her accomplishments will mean more to
them as they are revealed in the text.
Rather, describe to the students in more detail about what the conditions of
living in her century were really like for a woman, and especially a woman in a
field perceived to be only acceptable for men.
These points will interest the students in Madame Curie’s story, help them to
see the differences and advantages we have living now compared to then, and
appreciate even more of what Marie went through as she struggled through
her career, family life, opposition and triumph.

6. #4
Since the text being read is a biography, it’s considered
expository and tends to contain more technically challenging
words and concepts which may be difficult for students of
any age (Burnsuck & Damer, 2015). In order to encourage
comprehension, prior to reading,
it would be best to discuss some of the more
difficult words included in the text.
Allowing students to guess what they think
the words mean, or ask questions, will help to
cement the words in their minds. Another
avenue may be to show the context of the words
in some small passages, in order to assist in a
broader sense of where the words fit into the text.
Some examples of such words are found around this
slide. More are also highlighted in
the biography, with full definitions.
Radioactivity
Perpetual
Motion
PiezoelectricScale

7. #5
A KWL Chart negates students learning by
giving them a visual and organized view of
their impressions before and after the text
is read.
After going through the previous strategies
and information, the teacher will instruct the
students to complete the K & W sections of
their charts and leave the L section blank
until after the reading is finished.
These types of charts are especially useful
for students with attention problems to stay
focused. As well, they’ll help the 6th graders
to retain the information they’ve learned
and apply it while reading (Bursuck &
Damer, 2015).

8. 1.)
Think-
Aloud
2.)Key
Sentences
5.)
Partner
Reading
3.)
New
Predictions
4.) New
Vocabulary

9. A think-aloud involves a teacher first demonstrating
how they interpret the text with their thought
process as they read. A teacher may begin
to use this strategy as their students
start to read the book.
For instance, the first information the students are
presented with in the biography is the prologue
about Marie’s life; the teacher may proceed to
read the first page aloud and ask themselves
what they think the story is going to be
about, based on that passage.
In this way, the teacher is
prompting the students to question what
they’re reading as they continue through the text.
Possibly, instigate this type of internal
questioning in the students by providing sample
questions such as: What do I think will happen next?
How did I decide this? Why is this information useful or is it?
Do I need to remember it for later? How will this effect Marie later?
(Bursuck & Damer, 2015)
#1

10. By the 6th grade, many students
should already be capable of
identifying key words in a
sentence; however, finding key
sentences in a text may be a new
idea to them and difficult to
understand.
One way of teaching this method
is by having the students find “Hot
Spots,” by giving the students
different colored sticky notes.
Then, instructing them to place the
notes next to sentences where key
words stick out to them, or they
think sound important to Marie’s
life (Bursuck & Damer, 2015). As is
explained later in the PP, after the
reading the classroom will discuss
what they marked and why.
This encourages students to pay
attention to the text as they read it,
and keeps their interest because
they want to find the sentences.
#2

11. Creating new predictions during the reading process initiates higher-level thinking by
going beyond what is presently being read, and playing with possible outcomes based
on where a student is currently reading about Marie’s life.
A teacher may also suggest to the students, as they read, to ponder over their earlier
predictions and determine if they still fit within the biography, have already been proven,
or if they have been refuted.
Continuing the use of predictions during reading promotes comprehension by linking
prior knowledge with the predictions made just before reading and the information the
student has learned since beginning to read the text.
A teacher can encourage such predictions by asking questions that make the students
think of inferences such as:
How did you decide that’s how Marie’s life is going to turn out?
Why do you Marie decided to go on the path she did, and how with this effect her?
(Bursuck & Damer, 2015)
#3

12. As the students continue in the text, they may come across vocabulary words that are
unfamiliar to them and were not discussed prior to reading. The biography has several text
bubbles to explain the definition of some of the more obscure scientific words, but more help
may be needed.
Continuing to address unknown vocabulary in the text as it is being read will promote the
student’s working memory to retain the definitions, as they will undoubtedly come across the
words again in the text, and further the chances of those words being committed to their long-
term memory.
#4

13. #5
For some chapters of the text it may be beneficial to pair the students up
into groups of two, and have them work on reading a chapter together and
highlighting the parts they found most interesting or relevant.
Including note-taking in this process also lends to committing the
information into the student’s long-term memory.
Having students work in these types of small one-on-one groups gives
both participants an opportunity to provide feedback to one another on
their reading skills. In doing so, it helps each student to comprehend the
text better as they come to see it from a different view of their partner
(WETA, 2017).

14. *Confirmed via Illinois EDU

15. This strategy is usually directed more toward controversial texts with
many varying opinions (ReDesign, 2017). However, in this case, the
discussion web will be used to reiterate information learned from the
text and how each student felt about that information.
#1 Giving the students a focus question
about whether they believe Madame
Curie would have accomplished her
feats in another time period, or how
much her husbands influence
contributed to success, will generate a
conversation involving the entire class.
In doing so, higher level of thinking
and multiple ideas would spark the
student’s comprehension of the
biography and show the teacher how
much understanding each student has
of the text.
Displaying this type of document on a
Smart Board or over-head projector
would allow the teacher to take note of
what the students are saying during this
open conversation, and possibly use it to
summarize key points of the biography.

16. At this point, after hearing the vocab words before the reading and finding more
throughout the reading, the students may be tired of it. But, prodding them a little further
will be beneficial as the words and their definitions will be cemented into the student’s
personal vocabularies.
If any of the students have further questions, after the reading would be a perfect time to
examine some the reasons why a word or its definition is confusing. Allowing time for
this during the after reading lessons will again support the student’s understanding of
the words in the context in which they were written.
This may be done as a whole class discussion directly after the discussion web. The
teacher may ask each student to give a word they had difficulty with and then the class
can explore the word in more detail and come up with various ways the word can be
used in a sentence. Using this type of strategy with the entire class promotes group
work and may answer questions some students didn't think of or were to embarrassed
to ask.
#2

17. If the students did not already complete the “What
I Want to Learn” portion, this would be an excellent
time to ask a few students what parts of Madame
Curie’s life they found interesting and what about
that part makes them want to delve deeper into her
life.
The last column in the KWL shown is the “What I
Learned” portion of the chart. Since reading has
finished, completing this section could be done on
an individual basis or as a class.
Using guiding questions may help the students to
think more critically about what they got out of the
text and why that particular piece of information
stood out to them.
Possible questions might include:
What picture of Marie’s life did you get from the
biography and how it was written?
(Bursuck & Damer, 2015)
#3

18. Following the after reading theme of class participation, open reflections
can be a time for the students to really share their thoughts on Marie’s
life. This is also an easy way for the teacher determine each student’s
comprehension of the text.
Using the question words: who, what, when, where, and why will help to
facilitate the discussion's movement and keep the student’s on track
(Bursuck & Damer, 2015). Again, open forums allow the teacher time
and ample evidence to recognize how explicitly each student has
comprehended the text.
Students should be allowed to have some free reign over where the
discussion topics go, but the teacher must always make sure they stay
within the bounds of Marie’s life and work. This will maintain order in the
classroom and make an environment conducive to fully understanding
the text from all the different perspectives of the students while also
dignifying the author.
#4

19. There are many benefits
to students from
every aspect of
their education, but they must
be reminded of these and how
to
apply them from
time-to-time.
One way in which do to this is
take time at the end of a lesson
and explicitly teach students
how the information
they learned from the
particular text they’ve read will
benefit them later
in their education
and possibly their lives and
careers.
#5
Giving students various examples of
possible uses the information gained
from Marie Curie’s biography will
have may give them the ability to see
how it can help them later.
A teacher may chose to do this by
sharing how Madame Curie’s life
effected them personally. This should
take place as a normal lecture would
with the students seated and the
teacher speaking to the whole class.
It is of utmost importance that a
teacher shares truthful accounts, and
fully explains the impact this
information had on their lives or a
particular event.
(Honig, Diamond & Gutlohn, 2003)

20. Now We’re All Finished … Our Maybe We’ll Read Just A Little
More Later

21. References
Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2015). Teaching reading to students who are at risk or have disabilities: a multi-tier, RTI
approach. Boston: Pearson.
Cobb, V. (2008). Marie Curie:. London: DK.
Griffin, B. (n.d.). About Marie Curie (I., Ed.). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from
http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/poets/m_r/rich/mariecurie.htm
Hirsch, E. (2000). Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge - of Words and the World. American Education , 10-48.
Retrieved April 9, 2017, from https://atlantaclassical.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Reading-Comprehension-
E.D.-Hirsch-article.pdf.
Honig, B., Diamond, L., & Gutlohn, L. (2013). Teaching reading sourcebook. Novato, CA: Arena Press.
Pesacreta, M. (2017). How to Write a Non-Fiction Book Summary. Retrieved April 09, 2017, from
http://classroom.synonym.com/write-nonfiction-book-summary-6209199.html
Reading Graphic Organizer: KWL Chart. (n.d.). Retrieved April 09, 2017, from
https://printables.scholastic.com/shop/prcontent/Reading-Graphic-Organizer-KWL-Chart/9780439548977-001
ReDesign. (n.d.). Discussion Web. Retrieved April 10, 2017, http://www.redesignu.org/design-lab/learning-activities/discussion-web
WETA Public Broadcasting (Ed.). (2017, March 16). Partner Reading. Retrieved April 10, 2017, from
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/partner_reading