Determining Importance through Music

One way to help determine the main idea is to look at the evidence that the author is giving us. We have been working a lot on how readers need to justify their responses and the details they deem as important. Today, I shared that it isn't some sort of guessing game between the author and reader. It is more of a treasure hunt to pick up the clues/support that the author "drops" for us as to what the Main Idea is.
We recognized that the most important details always support the main idea and that when these match we are able to clearly understand the text.

Once again, Tanny brings this concept to life in an out-of-the-box way through listening to music. I shared with the kids Dolly Parton's beautiful biosong "Coat of Many Colors". I shared with the kids that we can often find out the topic/main idea from the Title. We inferred that the topic was probably going to be A Coat. We also inferred that the Main Idea would have something to do with a coat, but would go much deeper.

Then, I gave them the mission of hunting for the evidence that our author, Dolly, left for us throughout the song that helps us find the Main Idea.

I had the kids listen to the song through once just reading the lyrics so they were familiar with the song. The second time, I challenged them to underline/circle the lines, stanzas, or phrases that they felt were IMPORTANT (noodles) to understanding the Main Idea.

They did SUCH an amazing job of being able to pick out what the main idea was based off of their text evidence. We agreed that, while to topic was A coat that her mother made her, the main idea was that Money does not buy happiness and that you don't have to have money to rich in life (especially those things that money just can't buy - love, family, comfort, security, etc.)

I also shared different evidence sentence stems to help guide them in their response to the text.

We talked about how it is very difficult to express your opinion and point of view about ANYTHING really without providing valid evidence to back it up. I think it is important to always remind students of those things that apply to things outside of the subject (this applies to math, science, social studies, etc) AND out side of the classroom (including conversations with others, proving a point, standing up for yourself or someone else, sharing an opinion, offering a suggestion, etc.)

Determining Importance Some More!

Last year, I posted a quick over view of some activities that I do to help my kiddos determine what is important, specifically in non-fiction text. However,  I just HAVE to share the learning that was happening in the classroom today while we were straining NOODLES from WATER.

If you are unfamiliar with Tanny McGregor's visual metaphor for this comprehension strategy, please check out my Determining Importance Post for more detail.

 After teaching the lesson and completing our notebook insert, I had the kids choose to read one of two non-fiction books on either Turtles or Ants. While they were reading, they looked for "noodles" (important facts and details) and "water" (interesting, but not important to the main idea) details. They text coded their "noodles" onto sticky notes. This was their MUST DO assignment during independent reading time.

After reading time, I had them meet in groups of 4, with similar books, to share their thinking/reading through Purposeful Talk. They shared their "noodles" with each other and discussed whether some of them were more "watery" then others. 

As I walk around monitoring and facilitating learning, I like to take notes of neat things I see groups do and say to each other, that way, at the end I can recognize these kids as well as reestablish what purposeful talk looks and sounds like. Please ignore my messy jotting! 

 Then, the groups worked together to create charts based off what they had agreed upon as "noodles" and "water" details.

Most of them did a great job at this and it really helped me see where some of their misconceptions from the lesson still were. For example, the group below did a good job of separating factual details from broader/big picture details, however, they have them placed under the opposite headings. Broader facts are generally the more important details that we want our brains to hang onto, while the statistical facts are great, and usually very interesting, they are not usually the focus of the main idea.

Stay tuned for more updates on how we are determining importance while reading! 

Determining Importance in Reading

Moving along with our Reading Comprehension Work (shout out to Tammy McGregor's incredible book).

We have been focused on Determining Importance within the text through this semester. We have had a great time using non-reading activities to help us develop an understanding of this strategy before, and along with, applying it in our reading.

To introduce the subject I use the creative activity of having the kids look through my purse and determine the items that would be important if I were to go to the gym this afternoon. 

Then, I found THIS cute WS from iTeach 1:1 blog that we inserted into our reading notebooks and I had them go through THEIR backpacks to determine what were the VITALLY important items needed for a successful school day ... we found LOTS of "treasures" as we cleaned out looked through our bags.
TOPIC = Backpack
MAIN IDEA = Being successful at School (not on the way to or from school) 

I use Tammy's "Noodle Metaphor" (along with a notebook insert idea from Life in 4B blog) to help them remember the entire process ... since we are currently looking at figurative language, this worked out great in the discussion of what the noodles, water, combination, and strainer represented.

Anchor chart inspired by Life In 4B blog

In our guided reading groups, I have been using A-Z non-fiction books along with graphic organizers to help them practice finding the most important information for each section that helps them find the MAIN IDEA.
I gave THIS AMAZING MATH WORKSHEET (from iTeach 1:1 blog) to my partner teacher to help integrate "determining importance" into math.

MY LIFE Blending with SCHOOL (grin)

This week was my University Gymnastic Team's Home Show. As I was mournfully reminiscing watching, it got me thinking about another, unique way to help my kiddos remember "determining importance" ... I showed the kids a video of my old Collage Acro/Cheer Gymnastic team. It is a GREAT example of determining importance. The audience has to practice this strategy throughout the performance since there are many things happening, however, there are usually big center moves that you don't want to miss even thought there is a lot of other stuff going on. Another great example to show kids this strategy would be to show a circus routine under the big top - LOTS of audience determining of importance going on there! 

Southern Adventist University Gym-Masters (2012) (available on Youtube)

MY LIFE: 

Pictures from my University's Home Show 2013:

Hoop Routine 

Chairs Routine

Contortionist Routine

Pairs Silk Routine

Group Routine

All of this was such a HUGE part of my life throughout high school and collage (see my post Reminiscent Gymnast). I had bittersweet feelings as I went back and watched the final home show! Always sad to not be still in it but great to still feel apart of such an awesome program - and reunite with old teammates! 

Jamestown: A Horror Film

We have been studying Jamestown recently and have been having great discussion about the trials and hardships that were faced by the men who made the treacherous journey toward the official, first English settlement. 

In order to analyze the different experiences the men went through, I took the kids through an activity called "Keep it OR Junk it!" I discovered this phenomenal lesson on the Teaching Channel (if you have never checked their videos out, you are missing a FABULOUS resource!). Here is the original video of a class performing this activity (the activity could be used with any content, but this particular lesson happens to be on Jamestown - SCORE!) The activity works like this: 

First, the students read the passage alone. Then they reread the passage, circling or underlining words or short phrases that help them answer the focus question. My focus question was different then the one in the video. Our focus question was: What was life like during the early years of the Jamestown settlement? 

After they have done that, I had them pick their top ten words or phrases and write them on a sticky note. 

They they worked together as groups, seeing who had similar words. If two or more people in the group had the word then it went on their group paper. 

Once groups had gone through all their words, they choose two people from their group to perform the Keep it OR Junk it activity. The students then proceed down their list asking the whole class whether the words they have on their paper should be #1 KEPT #2 JUNKED #3 CLOUDED

The students in the room communicate with they through hand motions:
1 finger means KEEP 

2 fingeres mean JUNK 

A fist means CLOUD (which means that they are not sure and that we will come back to it) 

This activity went really well, and it was a great way to get the kids narrowed down and focused on what life was actually like in the early years of Jamestown using their own facts that they had discovered by determining importance (another reading skill integrated!) 

We have all decided that if today, one were to make an accurate video portraying the trials and hardships endured, it would easily be a first class horror film (that I quickly reminded that kids I WOULD NOT SEE. I do not do horrors - and I am quick to remind them, in my motherly fashion, neither should they!) 

Unfarmable swamp land, drought, famine, dirty drinking water, mosquitoes, diseases, inter fighting, blistering summer heat followed by an severe, icy winter, unfriendly local natives, shiploads of "gentlemen" who had never really worked a day in their life, and then there was the "Starving Time" (with even a couple of cases of cannibalism!) ... the statistics show just how forsaken and terrible it really was. By June 1610, of the possibly six hundred men left by Smith, only sixty survived... 

To demonstrate the vast difference between what the English were dreaming of when they set off for the "New World" paralleled with the reality they faced upon arrival, the kids created Jamestown Metaphors using the word and phrases we had discovered. We had been looking at figurative speech in reading so it fit in perfectly (whoo hoo integration!). I found this great anchor chart on pinterest which many of you have seen, however, I was especially excited because it goes PERFECTLY with my Jamestown metaphor because it has to do with weather and nature ... and that is what I chose my Jamestown metaphor to be as an example. 

I cannot find the original post for this chart ... only the picture pops up if I click on it. If you know where the original came from please let me know so I can give them credit!

My Jamestown Metaphor example

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Here are some of the kids metaphors - they turned out super cute and I feel that the kids really understood the concept! Some of them were really creative! {proud teacher heart}

This was one of my personal favorites! This kid paralleled Jamestown DREAM vs. REALITY with Minecraft - I loved the added touches of sticking the items down in the boxes as the "building items" 

I really enjoy showing history from a different perspective - I think that often were are taught history through rose colored glasses and forget to truly do justice to the people who lived. Many times our history books glaze over tragic stories, embarrassing moments, or areas of history we, as a nation, are not proud of. However, this kind of teaching is wrong. Not only is it disrespectful to the multitudes of people it affected, it gives kids a utopia picture that does not allow for the opportunity to truly do what history is intended to do - remind us of mistakes in the past, so that they will not be made again in the future! I'll get down off of my soapbox ;) All that to say, I love showing my kids appropriate (some content is too deep for younger students) Horrible Histories. A British based series that blends fact, reality, and morbid humor, as only the Brits can do! The kids absolutely ADORE them.
I just had to share the one I use for Jamestown.

Horrible Histories Colonisation from Rebeca Millam on Vimeo.
For more Colonial lessons and activities, visit the link below!