making connections

8/30/09 Elkhart Community Schools 1

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You Use This Strategy ...

As Curtis looks at thenewspaper, he sees an article onhis old elementary school andits basketball team.

Automatically, Curtis returns inhis mind to third grade when hehad to guard “The Giant—,” aboy who towered over him at 5’5”.

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You Make ConnectionsAll of the Time..

Curtis really CAN’T stop himself.The brain is wired to connectnew information with the oldknowledge that is in the brain.

It’s a way of making sense of theenvironment.

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Brain Research Tells Us That. ..

Connecting the text to your ownexperience allows you tounderstand more.

When you ask yourself, “Whatdoes this remind me of?” youhave “opened” a mental file inyour brain where newinformation can go.

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Did you know that…?

“To every text, a reader bringshis/her personality, presentmood, and memories, makingeach person’s experience of textalmost as unique as afingerprint.” - Laura Robb

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Strategic readers . . .

Connect rapidly with thetext without thinking aboutit.

Stick new information intheir short and long termmemory by hooking oldinformation with the new.

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With this strategy, you can . . .

relate to characters visualize -- have a clearer picture in

your head avoid boredom pay attention listen to others. What are their

stories? read actively remember what you’ve read ask questions

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Three Ways to

“Hook Up”

with the Text…

Text to Self Text to Text Text to World

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When Do You Use the Strategy ofMaking Connections?

Before ReadingDuring ReadingAfter Reading

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You can connect . . . to the characters to the plot to the setting or place to visualize, taste, smell, feel, or

hear the text to predict or infer what will

happen in the text to what you know about a topic or

word to help feel emotions related to

the text to what you know about the text

organization and text structure

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Before You Start to Read…

You can activate your backgroundknowledge.

Ask yourself: What do I already knowabout this subject?

Think about what you know aboutthey type of text you’ll be reading.

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Stop Isolating Information!

Realize that your backgroundknowledge is a storehouse ofinformation with memories,experiences, and facts. It sees alarger picture.

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Open Your Brain

You have something in commonwith the text!

Take all of your life experiences--even those outside of theclassroom-- and bring it into thetext in front of you.

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Text to Self What does this text remind me of? Did I have a similar experience in

any way? What did I see and hear? How did I feel? Am I bringing meaning to the

words to help me read better?

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Text to Self –You try it!

“My brother and I were playingaround, when things got out ofhand. As we were wrestlingaround on the floor, my footkicked the glass coffee table andsmashed it into pieces!”

Read this text:

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That Reminds Me….

Did I ever fight with a relative? Did we ever break an object? What was it? How did it happen? How did an adult react?

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Stay Focused!

You might want to say, “I have abrother,” and end yourconnection with that statement.

BUT…Be more specific and relateyour experience of fightingwith your brother and alsobreaking something.

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Be a Thoughtful Reader

Remember, some connectionsare more relevant or helpfulthan others.

Ask yourself, “Does thisconnection help me understandthe text?”

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Text to Text What connections can you make

with a book, article, picture ormovie that you have read orseen?

Is the information similar ordifferent from what you wouldexpect?

How does this connection helpyou understand the new materialyou are reading?

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You Already Know So Much!

In a fiction story:

What literary elements wouldyou expect to find? Examples:setting, characters, conflict

What dialogue would youexpect?

What problems would be likely?

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In a nonfiction story: What text forms would it have?

Example: table of contents,glossary, bold-faced words,graphs, tables, chapter summary

What terms would you expect tofind?

How could the information beorganized? Time-order? Cause-effect?

You Already Know So Much!

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Connect with this … What story does this lion remind you

of?

Did you think of the movies The LionKing or The Lion, the Witch, and theWardrobe?

Did you think of Kipling’s The JungleBook?

Is that lion similar or different to the maincharacter of your book?

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Text to TextThink of books you’ve read as you read

the following text…

The wizard looked upat the stars. Surely, thelunar eclipse was a badomen! He knew he had totell the king quicklybefore the marriageceremony started.

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Text to Text - You try it! Is this fiction or nonfiction?

What type of story (genre) is thislikely to be?

What events are likely to happen?

What other texts does this remindyou of?

Have you read a book about a wizardand astronomy?

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Comparisons Are Natural

Use Venn diagrams to see howthe stories are similar anddifferent from what you know.

Different

Similar

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Text to World

What specific factsdo you know aboutthe subject?

Make a web.

Begin a KWL+ chart.

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Text to World

You may have read about thetopic or heard about it in a class,at home, in a newspaper ontelevision, or on the Internet.

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“Unlike Iraq, which most expertsagreed was five to seven yearsaway from developing its ownnuclear weapons, there is broadagreement that North Korea is onlymonths away.”

- Klurfield-Newsday

Connect with this …

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President Bush was concernedabout weapons of massdestruction in Iraq.

North Korea became a securitythreat when it announced itsintention to to do nucleartesting.

United States dropped nuclearbombs in Japan in World War II.

What Do You Know?

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The dictator Kim Jong IIl threatenedto turn old fuel rods into weapons-grade plutonium.

The world realizes that the risk ofmore nuclear weapons affectseveryone.

If North Korea has nuclear devices, itcould sell the weapons to terrorists.

Dig Deeper…

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As You Read….

Don’t be shy!Connect with the text.Copy quotes and make notes.“This reminds me of ….”

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Strategy #1

Text to Self Text to Text Text to World

Be a strategic reader!!!