Making+Connections+-+Background+Knowledge

Please post your making connections/background knowledge comprehension idea here.

(Three worksheets) http://forpd.ucf.edu/strategies/textConnect.pdf
 * Name:** Jackie Huebner
 * Strategy:** Making Connections
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to Background Knowledge Strategy
 * Literature Source:** Pablo Remembers - The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead by: George Ancona
 * Objective:** Students will learn and apply the three types of connections while reading about the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.
 * Overview:** Students will first learn about the three types of connections: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. Then the teacher will hand out three worksheets, one for each of the types of connections. The students will read about how one family celebrates the Day of the Dead and as they are reading they will fill out the worksheets whenever they make one of the three types of connections.


 * Name:** Casey Robers
 * Strategy:** Connection Cue Cards
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to Background Knowledge
 * Literature Source:** Documentation and Diagrams of the Atomic Bomb http://www.serendipity.li/more/atomic.html#I
 * Objective:** The students will create note cards based on key words in the text and will make connections to their lives and previous lessons.
 * Overview:** The students will read over the information about the Manhattan Project along with the effect of the Atomic bomb. While reading they are going to write key words or concepts on to separate note cards. When they are done reading they will write on the back side of the note cards what they have learned about the term from previous lessons and prior knowledge. They will also right how this term can be related to their life in some way or to the whole world. At the end of the exercise we will get together as a class and discuss the terms and how the atom bomb relates to our lives.
 * I also did another one based on the double entry journal. The in-depth is linked.[[file:chap book double entry journal.docx]][[file:making connections final.doc]]


 * Name:** Seth Breunig
 * Strategy:** Closed Eyes Visualize
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to Background Knowledge
 * Literature Source:** “The Man from Illinois”, found in Photo by Brady: A Picture of the Civil War by Jennifer Armstrong, pg. 8-11.
 * Objective:** The students will use mental imagery to explore just how powerful photographs can be.
 * Overview:** Certain photographs are extremely powerful and are never forgotten. The students will be presented with a series of famous pictures taken of Lincoln during the war. After the picture is presented, the students will be asked to close their eyes and think about the picture, writing down anything which particularly stands out to them. A comparison will be made between this process and the reading process in general, a comparison which will emphasize the need to visualize when reading. The chapter “The Man from Illinois” will then be read by the class, and a discussion will ensue as to how one’s conception of Lincoln’s portrait changes with knowledge about the portrait.

**Name:** Jake Larsh **Strategy:** Conversations Across Time/What are my rights? **Comprehension Area**: Making Connections/Connecting to Background Knowledge **Literature Source:** //Jim Crow Laws,// //Nuremberg// //Laws, First Amendment// **Objective**: The goal of this activity is for the student to connect, TTT, TTW, TTS, between different sources of literature. **Overview**: The students will read the three short sources of literature and connect the Jim Crow Laws of the 1800s onward with the Nuremberg laws of the 1930s in Germany. They will then fill out a chart stating what rights were given up for African Americans, Jews, and Germans. Through guided instruction they will notice the curfew laws between the two law texts and will discuss curfew within the community.


 * Name:** Christian Vanseth
 * Strategy:** Venn Diagram
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to Background Knowledge Strategy
 * Literature Source:** Once upon a quinceañera : coming of age in the USA, by Julia Alvarez
 * Objective:** Using a Venn Diagram students will link what they know about Sweet Sixteens in the U.S. to what they learn about Quinceañeras in Latin America.
 * Overview:** Students will be given a sheet with a Venn Diagram with two circles, one being for Sweet Sixteens, and the other being for Quinceañeras. In the first circle, students will write what they know about the Sweet Sixteen when it comes to traditions and celebrations. Then they will write what they know about traditions and celebrations of Quinceañeras after they have read the text about the celebration. In the center students will write what these two celebrations have in common.

=

 * Objective:** Enable students to build a frame of reference on the subject matter by drawing connections on the material to what they already know. By doing so they will put this information into the context of prior knowledge and realize how the material relates to themselves and possibly to other texts and society in general.======

=

 * Overview:** Students will preview the chapter prior to reading it so that they can reflect on what they already know about the subject of ecological genetics. They will be given a Science Connection Overview worksheet which to complete. As the teacher, I would model a section of the chapter to demonstrate how to fill-out this worksheet; which requires students to pass over unfamiliar terms and make connections with those that are familiar to themselves. Encourage group work and questioning strategies to complete the sheet, and then have the students read carefully through the chapter while manipulating the worksheet which they've completed. Have them translate any technical terms which they are unfamiliar with by locating the definitions within the text and writing them down.======


 * Name:** Jacob Chadderdon
 * Strategy:** Double Entry Journal
 * Comprehension area:** Connecting to background knowledge
 * Literary source:** The Physics of Baseball by Robert Kemp Adair
 * Objective:** Students will use the three types of literary connections to understand and examine the information they are reading versus the conception they had in their mind about projectile motion.
 * Overview:** After learning about the three types of connections (text to world, text to text, and text to self) students will read "The Physics of Baseball" and make a double journal entry comparing the information they are reading to there conceptions of the content. This will be done in two parts first the topics will be talked about and students will write in one side of their journal what they believe about projectile motion and how it influences the game of baseball, as well as what kind of predictions they would make based on there conceptions. Then after reading the journal they will identify the areas that they dissagreed on if any and discuss what they think about the new ideas and the implications of the new ideas.

**Name:** Oriel Boomgarden **Strategy:** Double Entry Diary **Comprehension Area:** Making Connections **Literature Source:** //When the Wall Came Down: The Berlin Wall and the Fall of Soviet Communism// by Serge Schmemann pp. 51-61 **Objective:** Students will recall information they already know about the Berlin Wall or experiences in their past to better understand the meaning of the text. **Overview:** Students will divide their paper into two sections: Ideas from the Text and Reactions/Connections. Students will pick out ideas from the text and write them on one side. On the other, under “Reactions/Connections”, they will write something they already know or something that comes to mind as they read that passage. This will serve to make connections to the students’ background knowledge and experiences. **Strategy: **Double entry journal **Comprehension Area: **Connecting to background knowledge **Literature Source: ** //The Fire of Ares// by Michael Ford **Objective: ** Students will relate parts of the fictional chapter book to examples of trait inheritance and qualities of nature versus nurture they are familiar with. **Overview: **Students will keep a two column journal that they will add entries to while completing the reading of //The Fire of Ares//. One column will be for examples of text from the book that illustrate trait inheritance or qualities of nature versus nurture. The second column will provide space for them to explain how their text selection does in fact illustrate one of the desired aspects.
 * Name: **Josh Pyne


 * Name:** Brooke Friederichs
 * Strategy**: Make Connections
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to Background Knowledge
 * Literature Source:** //America Debates Stem Cell Research// by Jeri Freedman
 * Objective:** Students will relate passages of the non-fiction book to elements of their own lives, information from the lesson on cell differentiation, and societal implications of stem-cell research.
 * Overview:** Students will first learn about the three types of connections (text to self/world/text). They will then read the book, and after reading, will make a three part journal entry: first, making a connection between the book and classroom discussion of cell differentiation; second, making a connection between the book and how stem cell research would affect them (ex. if they had a relative with rheumatoid arthritis); and third, connecting the book to society (politics, religion, etc) After the journals are complete, students will share some of their connections and post them on a class poster.


 * Name: ** Brittany Rumphol
 * Strategy: ** Double Entry Journal
 * Comprehension Area ** : Connecting to Background Knowledge Strategy
 * Literature Source: ** //The Day the Universe Changed: Darwin’s Revolution//
 * Objective ** : Students will be able to make use of their background knowledge to make meaningful connections between their personal experiences, the world, and the new material presented.
 * Overview ** : Students will watch the short video on Darwin ’s Revolution during the 1800’s. During the video, students will use the chart provided and record key events, ideas, words, quotes, or concepts. After viewing the video, students will make connections to what they wrote in the left column to their life experience, the world, or text material and record them in the right column.

** Name ** : Alisha Brandtmeier ** Strategy ** : Double entry journal ** Comprehension Area ** : Connecting to background knowledge ** Literature Source ** : Mathematics and Architecture ** Objective ** : By keeping a two column journal students will be able to relate formulas that architectures used in ancient times to what we are learning now. ** Overview ** : Students will keep a journal with two separate columns, one with formulas that architectures used and one column on how they can relate that to their life and what we are learning in class. By making the connections between the formulas and how they were derived in ancient times they will be able to see what the different formulas can be used for and how we can apply them to life today. **Name:** Jim Krause **Strategy:** Double Entry Journal **Comprehension Area:** Making Connections/Background Knowledge **Literature Source:** //MaquilaPolis// by Vicky Funari & Sergio de la Torre **Objective:** Students will make connections with prior knowledge and beliefs about the topic of immigration, the global economy, and the injustices done to the Mexican people. **Overview:** Students will watch the movie //Maquilapolis//; it is a movie about cheap labor in Mexico, immigration, and the global economy. While watching the video students will be given a two-columned worksheet with the first column key quotes, phrases, and happenings within the movie. Afterwards, students will fill out the second column of the worksheet which asks them for their background knowledge and beliefs about the specific words and phrases. Then the class will have an open discussion about the topics on the worksheet and any other topic they find interesting within the movie.


 * Name:** Ally Peerenboom
 * Strategy:** Venn Diagram
 * Comprehension Area:** Making Connections/Background Knowledge
 * Literature Source:** //El Dia de los Muertos// by Linda Lowery
 * Objective:** Students will make connections between el dia de los muertos in the target culture and Halloween in their own culture using a Venn diagram to display the connections they have found.
 * Overview:** Students will be provided with a Venn diagram with "Halloween" in one circle and "El Dia de los Muertos" in the other. They will read the text in small groups and then discuss connections between the two traditions. They will be able to draw on their own background knowledge of Halloween and use the text to compare it with el dia de los muertos. They will then find similarities between the two traditions as well as how the two are different. This activity will help them to make cultural connections between the target culture and their own.

** Strategy: ** PReP Reading Plan ** Comprehension Area: ** Connecting to background knowledge ** Literature Source: ** // Death stars, weird galaxies, and a quasar-spangled universe: the discoveries of the Very Large Array telescope. // Taschek, Karen (2006), pp 52-60. ** Objective: ** Students will access their prior knowledge about the life of stars before reading the book. This will encourage greater comprehension. ** Overview: ** Students will share their ideas about how stars die and the consequences there of. This will be accomplished by the teacher asking questions about the death of stars, supernovae, and black holes in general. Students will then compare their own ideas to those of the rest of the class and form predictions about what they will be reading. This also allows the teacher to identify the students’ level of understanding.
 * Name: ** James Johnson
 * Name:** Chelsie Netzer
 * Strategy:** Concept Map
 * Comprehension Area:** Connecting to background knowledge
 * Literature Source:** //The Kingfisher Book of Evolution//. Webster, Stephen (2000)
 * Objective:** Students will activate thier prior knowledge and connect that knowledge to new information by creating concept maps from different chapters in the book.
 * Overview**: While in small groups students will read different sections of the book and draw upon thier prior knowledge to create concept maps. They organize and explain that section of the book, by focusing on key words, such as natural selection, found in thier section of text. Then as a class the groups explain thier section, and concept map, and build a large scale concept map for entire book. Then the class can anaylze how ideas changed with time and technology.

**Name**: Mike Riska **Strategy**: Making Connections **Comprehension Area**: Making Connections/Background Knowledge **Literature Source**: Mooney, C. (2008, August 2). Storm Warning. New Scientist, 199(2667), 38-41 **Objective**: Students will make connections from text to other related texts or world situations by using their prior knowledge on the subject of tornadoes and storms. **Overview**: Students will first read the article Storm Warning. The students will then make a list of any other books or articles that they have or any movies or shows that have discussed climate and tornados. The students will then share any other experiences they had and if they had any misconceptions that were changed by the article or if they have any new questions because of the article


 * Name:** Kyle Mannel
 * Strategy:** Double Entry Journal
 * Comprehension Area:** Making Connections/Background Knowledge
 * Literature Source:** Pala, Christopher. (August 2008) The reel downfall of Reefs. Environmental Magazine, 19 no4 16-18
 * Objective:** Students will pick out key words or concepts in groups and make connections relating reefs, or other various ideas about endangered species.
 * Overview:** With groups of two the students will begin reading the article I passed out in class. They will get a worksheet which will allow them to place their main ideas and concepts from the page on the left, and will connect these ideas to thoughts they may have. It could include experiences they may have encountered or ideas they have witnessed from the list of other endangered species they may have come across. This information will be brought together at the end of the period and we will discuss the connections as a class. The class will be notified that the connections can be either good or bad based upon their experiences or feelings.


 * Name:** TJ Tersine
 * Strategy:** Concept map
 * Comprehension Area:** Making Connections
 * Literature Source:** //Planing resiliency:the aftermath of hurricanes, bringing back tree cover requires more that just planting// in //American Forests// by Cheryl Kollin
 * Objective**: Connect how both natural storms and urbanization both effect ecology.
 * Overview:** Students will make concept maps that start with 2 different topics but will to a common bubble which says "decrease in water and air quality. I want the student to see how both effect the environment and how we as species need to work to improve our environmental practices. I also want students to see how while expanding urbanized areas decrease air and water quality and how much money we in turn have to spend to fix the damage.


 * Name:** Elizabeth Kutzke
 * Strategy:** Venn Diagram
 * Comprehension Area:** Making Connections
 * Literature Source:** Islands in the Sky: the Impact of Pleistocene Climate Cycles on Biodiversity (Journal of Biology)
 * Objective:** Students should read the article and be able to determine what biodiversity and the climate cycles have in common that are causing the negative effects on biodiversity
 * Overview:** Students should read the article then fill in the venn diagram with characteristics that define both biodiversity and the climate cycles being studied in the article. Each topic should have characteristics specific to only that topic, but somehow they come together to be interconnected. Following filling out the venn diagram the students are going to write a short paragraph defining what it is that is in their diagram. The students need to be able to express their views in their own thoughts and writing.

**Name:** Joshua Korotka **Strategy:** Pyramid Diagram **Comprehension Area:** Making Connections **Literature Source:** "Sliding U.S. Dollar Pack a Wallop to Wallets Worldwide" By: Quinn Bowman, //Social Education// Volume 72 No. 2, March 2008 **Objective:** Students will relate how the economy is or will affect their lives in a positiive or negative way. **Overview:** I will have the students pick a topic of a main article and make a pyramid with the topic on the bottom and builing towards the top with phrases of how their topic will affect their lives with their most important on the top. This will allow them to see how today's economy can affect their future lives.

Name: Nick Katsandonis Strategy: Venn Diagram Comprehension Area: Connecting to Background Knowledge Strategy Literature Source: Evolution at Different Scales: Macro and Micro http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/evoscales_01 Objective: Students will compare and contrast the differences of macro and micro evolution by using a Venn Diagram. Overview: The students will be given the Venn diagram as a graphic organizer and use it to separate the differences between the two types of evolution. In those differences they will give example of each. Also students will find and give examples of how they are similar or related in the overall process of evolution.