Inquiry in a ClassroomInquiry in a Classroom

Informational Text and Informational Text and QuestioningQuestioning

By Stacy PriceBy Stacy Price

Research QuestionResearch Question

What strategies can I teach my 5What strategies can I teach my 5thth grade students that will help grade students that will help them to read informational text them to read informational text and comprehend through written and comprehend through written response questions.  response questions. 

Comprehension SkillsComprehension Skills

create mental picturescreate mental pictures use background knowledge use background knowledge ask questions ask questions make inferencesmake inferences determine the most important ideas or determine the most important ideas or

themes themes determine the meaning of unfamiliar determine the meaning of unfamiliar

words words synthesis informationsynthesis information

Informational Literacy Informational Literacy FeaturesFeatures Found in science, social studies, as Found in science, social studies, as

well as other textbooks, newspapers, well as other textbooks, newspapers, and magazines.and magazines.

Diagrams, charts, graphs, captionsDiagrams, charts, graphs, captions Has index, table of contents, Has index, table of contents,

headingsheadings Special vocabulary bold faced or Special vocabulary bold faced or

italicizeditalicized Has a particular text structureHas a particular text structure

Sample Lesson for Sample Lesson for Informational TextInformational Text Scavenger HuntScavenger Hunt

– Have students use an informational Have students use an informational reading source (magazine, reading source (magazine, newspaper, textbook) to hunt for newspaper, textbook) to hunt for chapter headings, glossary, index, chapter headings, glossary, index, illustrations to develop illustrations to develop comprehension of the text.comprehension of the text.

– Students will gain an understanding Students will gain an understanding of the purpose of informational text.of the purpose of informational text.

Research DesignResearch Design

Week 1 Week 1 – Conduct a pretest using a selection of informational text written Conduct a pretest using a selection of informational text written

response response – Take note of student who use comprehension strategiesTake note of student who use comprehension strategies

Week 2 Week 2 – Teach specific comprehension strategy based on initial observationsTeach specific comprehension strategy based on initial observations– Practice the strategy through informal interviewing and discussionPractice the strategy through informal interviewing and discussion

Week 3Week 3– Teach a second comprehension strategy based on initial observationTeach a second comprehension strategy based on initial observation– Practice the strategy through informal interviewing and discussionPractice the strategy through informal interviewing and discussion– Discussion of type of informational textDiscussion of type of informational text

Week 4Week 4– Teach a third comprehension strategy based on initial observationTeach a third comprehension strategy based on initial observation– Practice use of strategyPractice use of strategy

Week 5Week 5– Give a post testGive a post test– Observe use of strategiesObserve use of strategies– Have students answer a survey in regards to how they felt the strategies Have students answer a survey in regards to how they felt the strategies

helped themhelped them

Stats from Pre-testStats from Pre-test

Pre-test was a couple sentences Pre-test was a couple sentences about the solar system and a chart about the solar system and a chart explaining the diameters of the explaining the diameters of the planets.planets.

Fifty-nine students took the mini-Fifty-nine students took the mini-test. Of those 49% got both test. Of those 49% got both questions correct, 35% got one questions correct, 35% got one correct, and 15% got neither one correct, and 15% got neither one correct. correct.

Inquiry ShiftInquiry ShiftInferential QuestionsInferential Questions Through my practice in the Through my practice in the

classroom, students struggled classroom, students struggled with not the reading of with not the reading of informational text but the informational text but the answering of inferential questions.answering of inferential questions.

Students also refuse to go back in Students also refuse to go back in the text to find answers or the text to find answers or concepts to help them.concepts to help them.

Simple QuestionsSimple Questions

Too often, the questioning process Too often, the questioning process has been reduced to an has been reduced to an oversimplified search for oversimplified search for prepackaged answers.prepackaged answers.

Questions are intended to provoke Questions are intended to provoke thought and inspire reflection, but all thought and inspire reflection, but all too often the process is short too often the process is short circuited by the simple answer, the circuited by the simple answer, the quick truth.quick truth.

What Does Inference What Does Inference Mean?Mean? Making predictions or Making predictions or

generalizations through deductive generalizations through deductive or inductive reasoning.or inductive reasoning.– Deductive reasoning: start with a Deductive reasoning: start with a

general statement and explain how general statement and explain how specific details relate to it.specific details relate to it.

– Inductive reasoning: investigate Inductive reasoning: investigate specific details in search of an specific details in search of an underlying, unifying principle.underlying, unifying principle.

Sample LessonSample Lesson

Provide a selection of Provide a selection of informational reading.informational reading.

Ask questions Ask questions – build on prior knowledgebuild on prior knowledge– develop the main ideadevelop the main idea– inferinfer

Sample TextSample Text

Sample QuestionsSample Questions

Where do we get the lumber we use for Where do we get the lumber we use for making buildings, paper and furniture? making buildings, paper and furniture? (prior knowledge)(prior knowledge)

How do some logging companies replace How do some logging companies replace the trees they cut? (prior knowledge, the trees they cut? (prior knowledge, infer)infer)

How does clear-cutting affect a forest? How does clear-cutting affect a forest? (main idea)(main idea)

How might the views of a person who How might the views of a person who catches fish for a living and a person catches fish for a living and a person who builds homes for a living differ? who builds homes for a living differ? (infer)(infer)

ConclusionConclusion

As we talked about and practiced the As we talked about and practiced the strategies, students needed to be using, their strategies, students needed to be using, their scores on these types of questions improved. scores on these types of questions improved.

Having students write questions was also a Having students write questions was also a neat way to have them explore the different neat way to have them explore the different types of questions.types of questions.

Strong questioning skills fuel and steer the Strong questioning skills fuel and steer the inventive process required to “cook up” inventive process required to “cook up” something new. Without such skills, we and something new. Without such skills, we and our students are prisoners of conventional our students are prisoners of conventional wisdom and the trend or bandwagon of the wisdom and the trend or bandwagon of the day.day.

Where do I go?Where do I go?

Increase the availability and exposure Increase the availability and exposure of informational text within my of informational text within my classroom.classroom.

Continue to use instructional strategies Continue to use instructional strategies for comprehension of reading.for comprehension of reading.

Continue to point out key features of Continue to point out key features of informational text.informational text.

Continue to challenge my students Continue to challenge my students with questions that are beyond rote with questions that are beyond rote memory and telling of the text.memory and telling of the text.

ResourcesResources

http://www.justreadnow.com/strategies/bloom.htmhttp://www.justreadnow.com/strategies/bloom.htm

http://www.ncsd.k12.pa.us/pssa/reading/reading.htmhttp://www.ncsd.k12.pa.us/pssa/reading/reading.htm

http://web54.sd54.k12.il.us/schools/eisenhower/ISIP/Readinghttp://web54.sd54.k12.il.us/schools/eisenhower/ISIP/Reading

%20Strategies/Info%20Text/infotext.htm%20Strategies/Info%20Text/infotext.htm

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/literacypapers/duhttp://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/literacypapers/du

ke.htmke.htm

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/nov03_infohttp://teacher.scholastic.com/products/instructor/nov03_info

text.htmtext.htm