Grade level of targeted Student: 6th Subject Area: Social Studies
Learning Strategy: Advanced Organizer Specific Content:
Constitution Introduction: I will introduce the strategy by first showing the student a visual of the advanced organizer. I will go on to explain that when completed it will provide us with the !big picture" or overview of the chapter. I will explain that this strategy can help us anticipate what is to come in the chapter before we explore the content of the chapter. #he advanced organizer also introduces us to the vocabulary in the chapter allowing us to become familiar with the language before we begin reading. #he specific student I will be teaching this strategy to has had great success with graphic organizers in the past. $e feels that graphic organizers help him when he is feeling overwhelmed with the content in a chapter which is this student%s typical response. $e was able to articulate this concern to me as&ing what else he could do to address this issue while in class reading from a textboo&. 'y teaching him this strategy I hope to empower him with specific tools to reduce the stress created by feeling overwhelmed at the start of each chapter. #his student also struggles with understanding the content that involves vocabulary he does not comprehend. $e gets frustrated with himself and has explained that he feels !dumb" when he encounters this problem. #his strategy should help him by presenting the vocabulary to him before the chapter begins. (y hope is to give this student the tools he needs to learn how to approach reading with confidence a stronger opportunity to understand the content and overall improved sense of self)esteem while in the classroom. Modeling: #o model this strategy I will present each section of the organizer step by step with the student. It will be essential to clearly explain how to find the information that is written within each section. I will use a completed graphic organizer of the most recent chapter read in class to ensure the student will feel comfortable with the content and is in a position to apply his focus on the advanced organizer. #he textboo& will be used as a resource as we wor& through each section so the student can see exactly where the information in placed within the chapter to benefit from the textboo&%s organization and context. !At the top of the advanced organizer is the Title of the Units Section. I have written !*hat were the +ounders% 'asic Ideas About ,overnment-" I will then direct the student to the exact page in the text that displays this information. clearly explaining !#his is the /nit page." #his page explains what the entire unit will be about. In this graphic organizer the essential information is contained the title of the unit. !#he section below is the Title of Current Chapter. It is best to move to that section next so we &now exactly what lesson0chapter we will be focusing on. #his chapter is !*hat was America li&e in the 1223%s-" I will then ta&e the student to the first page of the chapter and show the student exactly where that information is located. !#he section to the left is the #itle of the 4ast Chapter. +or this chapter we will put 5none% as this is the first chapter of the unit. #he section to the right is the #itle of the 6ext Chapter. In this section we will put the title of Chapter 7 which is !*hy did the +ounders thin& we needed a government-" I will direct the student to the specific page in the boo& that contains the information about the next chapter. !6ext we will learn about the Important Vocabulary section. 8ach vocabulary word listed on the organizer is a bolded word within the text in this chapter. 4et%s go through the chapter and find each vocabulary word. I suggest that after you complete this section and find the vocabulary words you loo& up the definitions of those vocabulary words. 9ou could ma&e flash cards or you could highlight the sentence within the text that provides the definition. #his will help you when we read the chapter during class." !6ow we will move onto the Chapter Map. #he chapter map is li&e the graphic organizers you have used in the past. #he large bubble has the ma:or main idea of the chapter and the smaller bubbles have the details that support the main idea. It is important to note that these bubbles are small for a reason. #here should not be any ma:or content in these bubbles :ust main points. #ry to use as few words as possible. 4et%s go through the chapter together and find the information that should go in the bubbles." I would wor& through the chapter with the student pointing out the specific subheadings from which the bubbled information came. !6ext we will focus on the Guiding Questions section of the advanced organizer. #his section includes ;uestions that are big and broad. #hey usually can be answered in one or two words. #he simple ;uestions are tools to help guide you through the content of the chapter." I would then share my ;uestions with the student and show them where you can find the answers within the text. !#he last section in the advanced organizer is Connections to Prior and uture Chapters! In this section you will be able to write things you already &new that relate to this chapter as well as things you thin& this chapter might lead to. I thin& this chapter will lead to the 5+ounders wanting their own government%." Guided Practice: 8ach time this student completes an advanced organizer I will as& the student to fill out a provided form to share his own opinion about his wor&. #ypical ;uestions to prompt meaningful responses would include< !Are you feeling comfortable with this strategy and how do you feel about the chapter-" I will have multiple options for each ;uestion so he will only need to circle which response best conveys his feelings. I will review the student%s completed form and add with my own notes regarding his achievements in terms of completion and areas of particular success. 'y using these forms I will be able to monitor his progress with this particular strategy. As the main purpose of teaching this strategy is to increase the student%s self)confidence in textboo& related learning I will pay particular attention to his comfort level with the strategy to gauge his performance. I will instruct this student to practice this strategy for the chapter he is about to start in his social studies class. I will as& him to complete it right after showing him my completed advanced organizer to help him in retaining the information. #o ensure that he is comfortable with the process I will have him lead me his process through step by step. Since this particular student struggles with confidence I want to ma&e absolutely certain he believes in his ability to successfully use this strategy. *hen beginning to put this plan to wor& I will provide one)on)one guidance and support as needed. I will be the student%s learning partner answering his ;uestions and as&ing him ;uestions to help deepen his understanding of the strategy. (oving forward through the process I will gradually decrease my direct involvement. #he first time he completes an advanced organizer on his own I will be present in the classroom however I will not be going through the strategy step by step. I will be there to answer any ;uestions he might have during his wor& time. #he next time this student completes an advanced organizer I will not be present. I would li&e him to complete the strategy without being able to as& any ;uestions. I believe this final step will be the most telling about whether or not he is ready to use this strategy independently. Independent Practice: #he student will be able to use this strategy at the beginning of a chapter in any content area. *hether it is social studies science or math the concept of the advanced organizer stays the same. I taught this student the strategy to help him feel more confident and ready when beginning a chapter in class. to maximize his continued progress this student should spend resource time completing this activity on an ongoing basis. I will explain to this student that at this point the power is in his hands. I want him to understand that he is ultimately the one in charge of his learning. I do not want to re;uire the advanced organizer if possible but rather urge the student to see it as a resource to help him get the most of every learning opportunity stay in control of his study plans and reduce stressful feelings of being overwhelmed. Generalization: I would &now that the student is generalizing the learning strategy if he is completing the advanced organizer for multiple sub:ect areas. $e might also use small components of the strategy when appropriate. If I see this student loo&ing at the vocabulary in a chapter before he begins reading I will &now that he is generalizing the learning strategy. I could ma&e a resource folder for this student labeled "earning Strategies that would contain examples and0or templates for all of the strategies he has learned. #he file would be available if the student needs to review a strategy that would apply to particular classroom situations. I might also encourage him to apply the strategy if I observe a potential challenge. !It might be helpful to complete a graphic organizer for this next chapter there is a lot of new vocabulary=" I want to give the student support while giving him the opportunity to be in charge of his learning.