RM Winter 2017 FINAL

52 / 72

Reading Matters
Teaching Matters
| 52| Reading Matters | Volume 17 • Winter 2017 |
which can be used in lessons are widely available online, including
Anti-Bullying Elementary School Video
, Children’s Speeches
, How Can You Help Save the Earth?
), and PSA By
Kids For Kids ,
Read Alouds, Discussions, and
Comprehension Strategy instruction
As elementary students engage in authentic literacy activities,
read alouds, discussions, and comprehension strategy instruction
can offer opportunities to (a) see how expert readers attend to
graphics, (b) understand the role of graphics in persuasive text,
and (c) collaborate with teachers and peers to integrate graphics
with ideas in written text (e.g., Duke & Martin, 2015). Teachers
can introduce the focus on graphics, model how graphics are
integrated with ideas in written text, and provide feedback
on students’attempts to focus appropriately on graphics.
Finding high-quality persuasive texts intended for elementary
students is foundational to using read alouds, discussions,
and comprehension strategy instruction to help students
focus appropriately on graphics in persuasive text. Figure
2 lists published texts which are well-suited to a focus on
graphics. Also, student-created and community-based texts
such as brochures, pamphlets, or advertisements may be
inexpensive sources of graphics-rich texts for K-5 lessons.
Below, we describe two lessons from elementary classrooms in
which we have been working. The lessons were designed to help
students learn to focus appropriately on graphics in persuasive text.
Second-Grade Lesson. One of us (Nicole) attempted to help
second graders learn to interpret graphics in persuasive text using
the text, We Need Insects! (Prokos, 2005) [CCSS: RI.2.7, RI.2.8]. Nicole
began by displaying copies of pages from different persuasive texts
on a document camera and asking what readers can learn from
reading the pages. Nicole introduced the key idea (“Sometimes
writers put information in pictures not found in the words, and
readers look for and learn from these pictures”) and shared her
thinking about selected graphics in the displayed pages. Then
Nicole established the lesson purpose by saying, “Today, we are
going to look for and learn from the pictures in persuasive text
so that you can learn from the pictures in your books when you
when you are doing research for your Safe Schools project.”
To introduce the text, Nicole claimed some people think insects
are annoying and asked for students’ opinions about insects.
Then Nicole read the title, told students that Anna (the writer)
believes we need insects, and asked students to listen
for her reasoning. After reading the first page aloud,
Nicole modeled looking for and learning from a graphic
on the first page: “In this picture, there are ants. They
are working together to carry a grasshopper somewhere.
Anna has been talking about how insects help nature. I
think this is an example of when she said insects can be
food. Maybe the ants are going to eat the grasshopper.”
As the read aloud continued, Nicole encouraged students
to share their thinking using questions such as, “What
new information can we learn from this picture?”, “We just
read about this. What is this example showing us?”, and
“What are these insects doing? How is that helpful to us?”
When the read aloud was finished, Nicole asked
students to share Anna’s reasons for believing insects are
needed. Then Nicole reviewed the key idea, displayed
chart paper that said “Safe schools are important!”, and
shared one reason in support of the thesis statement.
Next, Nicole passed out sticky notes and asked students
to draw their most important reason for needing safe
schools and put it under the statement. When most of
the students were finished, Nicole reread the statement
and asked them to share their sticky notes. Nicole ended
the lesson by reminding students of the key idea and
inviting them to look for and learn from the pictures
when reading persuasive texts during their project.
Fourth-Grade Lesson. During a teaching
demonstration, one of us (Nicole) taught another lesson
focused on graphics in persuasive text. The goal was to
model how students could be taught to integrate graphics
FIGURE 2. Examples of Persuasive Text Trade Books for Elementary Readers
Trade Book Overview
Burnham, K. (2007). Save energy. St.
Catharines, Ontario: Crabtree.
Explains why it is important to
conserve energy and offers suggestions
about ways to conserve energy.
Cleveland, M. (2005). Try it! Parsippany,
NJ: Celebration Press.
Seeks to convince readers to be
open to trying new things.
Fridell, R. (2008). Protecting Earth’s water
supply. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Classroom.
Argues that fresh water is an
important but limited resource
and needs to be safeguarded.
Fowler, A. (1990). It’s a good thing there
are insects. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Showcases how insects help people.
Gordon, S. (2002). Keeping clean.
New York, NY: Children’s Press.
Explains why and how people
can cleanse themselves.
Green, J. (2002). Why should I recycle?
Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s.
Showcases the recycling
process and its importance.
McCormick, R. (2005). Eat your vegetables!
Parsippany, NJ: Celebration Press.
Offers reasons for including
vegetables in snacks and meals.
Parker, J. (2008). Disappearing Forests.
New York, NY: Weigl Publishers.
Seeks to convince readers that trees
are an important natural resource
which needs to be protected.
Parr, T. (2001). It’s okay to be different . New
York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.
Showcases that people are not the same
and that these differences are good.
Rockwell, P. (2006). Why are the ice
caps melting?: The dangers of global
warming. New York, NY: Collins.
Argues that it is important to
stop or slow global warming.
Stead, T. & Ballester, J. (2002). Should there be
zoos: A persuasive text. New York, NY: Mondo.
Is a compilation of fourth graders’
essays about whether and why
zoos are or are not necessary.
Thomas, P. (2006). My manners
matter. Hauppauge, NY: Barron’s.
Seeks to convince readers that
good manners are important.
Silver, D. M. (1993). Why save the rain
forest? Herndon, VA: Silver Burdett.
Explains why the rain forest needs
to be protected from destruction.