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    <blockquote><blockquote><font face="Verdana,Arial,Helvetica" size="-1"><a href="learningactivities.html"><b>INDEX</b></a><br><br><font size="+1"><center><i>Reading Revolutions:&nbsp;  Ideas for Teaching</i><br><br><font size="+0"><font size="+1">Learning Activities:&nbsp; Literacy Activites</center>

	<b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Objective</font></font></b>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Use the primary classroom
	text as stimulus for classroom literacy.
	<br>The activities described below will
	enhance and reinforce the focus of the primary text.
	<br>The activities can facilitate multi-age
	groupings, interdisciplinary activities, and cooperative groups.</blockquote>

	<a NAME="instructext"></a><b>Instructional texts (reading comprehension and writing composition)</b>
	<blockquote>Ask the students to bring in a collection of "how to" (process analysis) texts, for example, how to build a cabinet, instructions for programming the video, or a recipe.
	Some DIY stores have a collection of guides for a variety of jobs. Other
	texts including instructions are Gardening books and the leaflets that
	come with computer games, or Internet CDs. In particular, look at the instructions
	on how to upload new software or the 'help' files for a program already
	in use in your school.
	<p>Divide the class into groups of three
	to five. Make sure each group has at least three different types of instructional
	text. Give them time to look at each one and then ask them to put the instructions
	an order of preference.</p>
	<p>Bring the class together and ask
	each group to state their preferences, (without explanation). Now ask each
	group to provide three reasons why the 'best was the best' and two reasons
	why their 'worst was the worst'. As a class, compare what groups feel is
	important in the instructional text and use this information to design
	a list of do's and don'ts when giving instructions.</p>
	<p>Encourage children to consider:
	<blockquote>
	<li>
	Audience (is the text appropriate for who will be reading it?)</li>

	<li>
	Language (how hard or easy is the text to read? Is it written in first person, third person or in another manner?)</li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Sequence (How is the text organised?
	Are there connectives like bullets or numbers?)</li>

	<li>
	Presentation (graphics, photos, cartoons etc)</li>

	<li>
	Layout (visual impact on the page - is it an A4 sheet, a booklet, etc)</li>
	</blockquote>

	<p><br>Children might also consider if there is too much or too little information.
	<br>They should decide how to improve the piece of instructional text they considered the worst.&nbsp; They should also re-evaluate their original decisions.</p>
	<p>Using the list of important aspects
	of instructional text, ask the children to write their own text for a child
	of a similar age. The text could be:</p>
	<blockquote>
	<li>
	Instructions on walking to school including safety aspects</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>How to be safe in the house by yourself</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>What to do if a stranger approaches
	you.</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>What to do if you get home and your
	parents aren't there.</font></font></li>
	</blockquote>
	</blockquote>

	<p><br><a NAME="recountevents"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Recounts
	of events (Writing composition, including some connectives work)</font></font></b>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Using all the accounts of
	the witnesses, children can compile a full and comprehensive report for
	your 'Police Chief Inspector'. Use planning time to discuss various areas
	of the report. Ask children to contribute to the discussion and keep notes
	for their own planning.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Sentence level work time can be used
	to discuss use of connectives. Create a workable list and if possible create
	a group plan of the forthcoming report including appropriate connectives.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Introduction - What information is
	needed? How much will the Chief Inspector know?&nbsp; Where, when, who,
	why etc?</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Sequence - In which order will you
	report the events - as you found out about them or as they actually happened?
	Which will make most sense to the Inspector?</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Relevance of witness statements -
	Will you quote any of the people who gave reports? Can you refer to any?
	Are there some people you don't need to tell your Chief Inspector about?
	Remember, only include relevant facts but support your work with evidence
	(quotations).</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Use of Language - Remember who you
	are writing for! How will you address the Chief Inspector? Will you use
	slang? Discuss formal and informal writing.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Conclusion - How will your report
	end? What did you find out? Is there any more work you as an Missing Persons
	Investigator would like to carry out? Remember - the Chief Inspector likes
	bright young things - you might get a promotion!</font></font></p></blockquote>

	<p><br><a NAME="letters"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Letters</font></font></b>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The text the class is reading
	can provide opportunities to write letters:</font></font></p>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>1. A letter of apology one character
	to another.</font></font>
	<br><br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Why would a character apologise;
	what might they say? Would they try to explain their behaviour? Would there
	be need for a letter of confession? Accusal?</font></font>
	<br><br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>2. A letter from one character regarding
	safety issues at work, school, or exposing something that a character(s)
	may be able to control or change. How could the issue be changed or controlled?
	Outline what the author of the letter envisions.</font></font>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>A letter to the press. Do you think
	that the journalists will be sympathetic towards the issue or the author
	of the letter?</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Use 'word' or sentence level time
	to plan the letters carefully making an appropriate vocabulary list. Aspects
	of formal writing and use of connectives should also be encouraged where
	appropriate.&nbsp; Include work on introductions and how to end a letter.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Choose one of the letter ideas and
	create a whole class plan of the letter to be written.</font></font></p>
	<ul>
	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>To whom will the letter be addressed?</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>How shall you address this person?</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>From whom shall the letter be? Encourage
	creativity, for example, people from the scenario, important members of
	the community.</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>What kind of language would be used?
	What would a person of the chosen age 'sound like? What would be their
	tone, voice, diction level? Is the writer a child or an adult?</font></font></li>
	</ul>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Discuss formal and informal approaches.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Students should then write a letter
	based on the whole class plan and use plenary time to evaluate their own
	and each other's work. To further develop letter-writing skills, children
	could choose to create another letter using the scenario.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Each letter should be planned using
	the guidelines from the discussion of the class-built letter and draft
	the parts - introduction, contents and conclusion.</font></font></p></blockquote>

	<p><br><a NAME="newsreport"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>News
	Reports</font></font></b>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Ask students to collect
	(and collect yourself), a number of newspaper or magazine articles relating
	to recent events that tie into the theme(s) of the class reading. Students
	can use the Internet to view up-to-date news articles and print out ones
	they would like to use or bookmark if they have a personal computer for
	class.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Try bbc.co.uk/news or use a child-friendly
	search engine (yahooligans.com, excite.co.uk, ajkids.com, aol.com/netfind/kids)
	and type 'news UK'.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Together choose an article, which
	will fit the discussion needs outlined below.</font></font></p>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Use word level/sentence level time
	to look at the article and identify important features.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Introduction - What information is
	given to the reader to help them understand what is going on? Does the
	article give people's names, ages, where and when the article takes place?</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Sequence - In what order does the
	article operate? Sometimes articles list events as they happen in chronological
	order; other articles start at the end, giving details of the present situation
	and then use the article to work through how the situation came about.
	(Women's magazines often use this format, first detailing the happy ending,
	followed by the events leading up to this point).</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Connectives - How are the pieces
	of information joined together? Use a coloured pencil to underline words
	or phrases that act as connectives. Create a word bank of connectives to
	use in writing the article later.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Language - Look closely at the formal
	and informal language use of language. Make a note of useful or interesting
	phrases that might help in writing an article.</font></font></p>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Illustrations or diagrams - What
	pictures are used to help retell the events?</font></font></blockquote>

	<p><br><b><font face="Verdana">Writing Composition</font></b>
	<p><a NAME="eveningnews"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Report
	the events for the Evening News</font></font></b></p>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Plan the article carefully,
	giving consideration to the points arising in discussion. Include illustrations
	where and if appropriate.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Consider who might be interviewed
	for the article. Take quotes from the script as appropriate or 'invent'
	what people might have said to journalists.</font></font></p>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Use plenary time to evaluate and
	share each other's articles.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>As an extension, use a women's magazine
	article approach. Imagine the journalist has gone to a character or author's
	home and tells the story from their point of view. Consider the sequence
	of the article and the kind of quotes, which will be used. Use word and
	sentence level time to investigate other articles before planning to write
	further examples.</font></font></p></blockquote>
	<a NAME="diaries"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Diaries</font></font></b>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>If possible have an example
	of diary text to share with the children. Older children may enjoy extracts
	from the Adrian Mole or Anne Frank diaries, or you may wish to link with
	history work with some of the extracts from Queen Victoria's diary.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>There are plenty of diaries available
	online for you to select extracts from, ranging from those of war heroes
	to pop stars. This may involve some editing but should provide varied examples
	of writing style.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>After sharing a few diary extracts,
	ask students to tell you how a diary is different from an ordinary story.
	Make a list of the key features of a diary:</font></font></p>
	<blockquote>
	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Written in the first person - I went
	to the shops (not he went to the shops)</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Refers to events that have happened</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Refers to people in their life</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Emotions - diaries tell how people
	feel about what is happening and has happened. (This is a key point for
	writing composition later on).</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The diarist's particular point of
	view - Adrian Mole is a prime candidate for this kind of treatment. He
	manages to blame just about everyone else for his problems and often does
	not realise what is going on, although the reader does.</font></font></li>

	<li>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Secrets - A diary is often a place
	where the writer can write down his or her thoughts and secrets in confidence.</font></font></li>
	</blockquote>
	<font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Bearing all these points in mind, children
	can be asked to write a series of diary entries.</font></font></blockquote>

	<p><br><a NAME="weekdiary"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>A
	week of Diary Writing</font></font></b></p>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>After some preliminary work
	on key features of a diary (see above), children are ready to use Lost
	to produce their own fictional diaries.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Imagine, as the author or character,
	that you keep a diary. Write five entries, those for the two days before
	the event, the entry for the day itself, and the entries for two days afterwards.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Each day as a class, review ideas
	for what might be going on. Use word level and sentence level time to discuss
	what may happen in chosen persona's&nbsp; life (remember to include the
	clues given during the message stream). Also link to any grammar work that
	you wish to cover.</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>During text level work (20 - 30 mins.),
	ask the children to write the entry for that particular day. At the end
	of the week, have a sharing session where children can exchange diaries
	and compare with each other (you may wish to only write 4 entries and spend
	the fifth day 'finishing off').</font></font><p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Here are some ideas for discussion
	for each diary entry:</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Two days before the event</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Give a basic introduction to the
	everyday life of your chosen character/author. Remember, it is close to
	the persona's birthday. How is s/he feeling? What would he like for his/her
	birthday? Who are the persona's friends? How does the persona feel about
	their situation at work? In their society? Their placement in life?</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>The day of the event</font></font></p>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>What kind of party does the persona
	have? Is this an evening, morning or afternoon party? How long does it
	last?&nbsp; Who are the guests in attendance? What is the attire? Describe
	the decorations. Is the atmosphere festive? What kind of presents does
	s/he receive? Does s/he like his presents? What is/are the topic of conversation
	among the guests?</font></font></p></blockquote>

	<p><br><a NAME="newscenes"></a><b><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Writing
	new scenes into a story</font></font></b></p>
	<blockquote><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>As a piece of narrative
	writing, using the third person, ask the children to write the full story,
	concentrating on the characters or author.</font></font>
	<p><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Where does the persona go? What kind
	of conversations do they have? How do they feel, interact with others?
	If you wish to create the next chapters of the story, use the suggestions
	for the diary entries above.</font></font></p></blockquote>

	<p><br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Dr. Denise De Vito</font></font>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>Assistant Professor of Literacy
	Education Middle and Secondary Education</font></font>
	<br><font face="Verdana"><font size=-1>University of Maine at Farmington</p></font></font>


</blockquote></blockquote>


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