This document provides strategies for developing strong reading and writing skills to support deep social studies learning. It discusses various strategies that can be used before, during, and after reading to improve comprehension, such as making predictions, asking questions, clarifying information, and summarizing. A variety of activities are described, including fiction-nonfiction comparisons, simulations, and using technology tools like Google Docs, Delicious, and iPod Touches. The document emphasizes adapting instruction to meet the needs of today's students.

1. Writing in the
Read ing &
ial St udies
Soc
June 30, 2009
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack
.org

2. “If teaching were the same as
telling, we’d all be so smart
we could hardly stand it.”
Mark Twain

3. Sticky ideas?

4. Strong reading & writing
skills are essential for deep
Social Studies learning

5. There are lots of
strategies we
can use

6. In other words, it’s possible to . . .

7. get to
the bigs!

8. Ready, Set, Go, Whoa!

9. Ready Set Go Whoa
What do I What do I think I What new What questions do I
know? will learn? information do I still have about the
have? topic?

10. Santa Fe Trail
“Tomorrow we’re going to start a unit on
Santa Fe Trail. Read chapters 3 & 4 and fill in
the blanks”

11. One side write
• What you see
The other
• What you feel

20. Whadda ya see?

21. Whadda ya feel?

22. Whadda they all have
in common?

23. The Ruby Bridges Story

24. How and
why did
racism start?
Can you
prove that it
has ended?

25. Why?
Large amounts of content & little
time
• Much of that in textual formats

26. Why?
New & different resources are
available
• Newspapers
• Visuals
• Atlases
• Magazines
• Primary & secondary sources
• Video games
• Internet

27. Why?
Reading strategies are research
based

28. It’s good for kids

29. What we know / research
Students construct meaning by
connecting prior knowledge with
text

30. What we know / research
Students store prior knowledge in
“schemata”
• Predict, organize, compare/contrast and
understand

31. What do you see?
viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/djs_lab/
demos.html

32. Can you recreate it?

34. You’ve got 30
seconds

36. What about a number?

37. 17766024365911

38. You’ve got 30
seconds

39. Declaration of Independence

40. Minutes / hours / days

41. Emergencies

42. 1776
60-24-365
911

43. What we know / research
Reading & writing are integrally
related
• Writing cements knowledge

44. What we know / research
Comprehension and learning increase
in collaborative settings

45. Whatcha’ thinking?

46. Myths / misconceptions
“Learning From What Doesn’t Work”
Code the Text
• Use three symbols
I knew this (x)
Important (!)
Confused (?)

47. Plan instruction around the
triad of reading strategies
Before During
reading reading
After reading

48. Before reading / strategies

49. Prediction activity
Discrepant Event Inquiry
Riddle / problem / question
Yes or no questions only
Timed

50. A cork placed in a glass that is
completely filled with water will
always move to the center of the
glass. Why?

51. “We never would have found this
person if the person hadn’t been so
hard to find.”

52. In 1837, a boy named John and his six
brothers and sisters lived on a farm
in a beautiful, wooded area in
Tennessee. His family planted corn &
raised animals for food and milk. His
father was a lawmaker and his
mother taught English in a local
school. They were happy &
prosperous.

53. In 1839, the family moved to a dry,
treeless, flat prairie where it was
difficult to raise enough food to
survive. Three of John’s siblings died.
Unable to make a living farming, his
father went back to being a legislator
and his mother wrote for a newspaper.
They missed their home in the
mountains.

54. When? Where? What?

59. “Backwards” DEI
• Student stands facing class
• Project picture on wall
• Student must ask the questions

61. Paul Harvey
• “The Rest of the Story”
William Bruce
• “Mindtronics”
• “Inquiry Alive”
• “Discrepant Event Inquiry”

62. Background knowledge

63. Background knowledge
List / Group / Label

64. Vocabulary
Must encounter words in context
more than once
• 7-14 meaningful exposures
• Associate images with word

65. Democracy

69. Taboo
• Student faces class / teacher
provides word with “taboo” words

70. Taboo
• Student faces class / teacher
provides word with “taboo” words
“Democracy”
vote people United States
election Constitution government

71. Vocabulary cheat sheet
• “Pre-load” words from text onto
bookmark
• Repeat words with students
• Give quick definition
• Students use while reading

72. commission rendezvous secede
diplomacy strategy tactic
corps regiment confederate

74. Word Sorts
• Geography terms
• Word Magnet

75. Word Sorts
• Geography terms
• Word Magnet
Verbal and Visual Word
Association
• Discrimination

76. Frayer Model

77. Remember
by Toni Morrison
I am poem

78. Preview text activities
Text Feature Hunt
THIEVES

79. Whatcha’ thinking?

80. During reading / strategies

81. Text structure
Description
Sequence
Cause & effect
Problem / solution
Compare & contrast

82. Text structure
Using photos or images, write a
paragraph using a specific text
structure

83. Clarifying
5 Ws and H
History / Story Frame
Code the Text

84. Questioning activity
Children of the Dust Bowl vs. Out
of the Dust

85. Questioning activity
What is historical fiction?

86. Questioning activity
Out of the Dust
• “Fact - Fiction - Not Sure” graphic
organizer

87. Questioning activity
Children of the Dust Bowl
• Create questions from “Not Sure” list
• Research using non-fiction to find
answers
• Create a page of larger class book

88. My Brother Sam is Dead vs.
Give Me Liberty

89. NCSS Notable books
Cornell Notes
Bibme.org

90. Whatcha’ thinking?

91. After reading / strategies

92. Synthesizing

93. Synthesizing
Fence Sitter activity

94. Synthesizing
Fence Sitter activity
Creating captions

95. Synthesizing
Fence Sitter activity
Creating captions
Google Earth tour

96. Synthesizing
Fence Sitter activity
Creating captions
Google Earth tour
Digital Storytelling (Photostory 3,
Garageband, Comic Life)

97. Summarizing

98. Summarizing
Summarizing Pyramid

99. Summarizing
Summarizing Pyramid
Quick Draw for Points

100. Summarizing
Summarizing Pyramid
Quick Draw for Points
Read, Remember, Cover, Retell

101. Summarizing
Summarizing Pyramid
Quick Draw for Points
Read, Remember, Cover, Retell
Writing in Social Studies

102. “Bleeding”
edge?

103. docs.google.com
delicious.com
blogger.com
pbwiki.com

104. Simulations & video games

106. iPod Touch

108. World F armer
Third

119. Trave ler IQ

121. Whatcha’ thinking?

122. “Our task is not to provide an education
for the kind of kids we used to have, or
want to have, or the kind that exists in
our dreams.

123. Our task is to provide an education for
the kind of kids we do have.”
Mary Kay Utecht

124. have more questions?
contact:
Glenn Wiebe
glennw@essdack.org
socialstudiescentral.com
historytech.wordpress.com
View presentations at:
slideshare.net/glennw98