This document discusses using mini-novels in language classes to improve comprehension and acquisition. It provides many pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading activities to use with mini-novels, including analyzing book covers, predicting plots, vocabulary exercises, group reading activities, character analysis, and games to check comprehension. The goal is to increase comprehensible input through engaging activities that make reading mini-novels in the target language enjoyable and effective for students.
2. USING MINI-NOVELS IN CLASS TO ACHIEVE BIG GAINS IN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Jamboree 2014
Bethany Ergican
Redondo Union High School
3. https://www.polleverywhere.com/my/polls#! /my/polls
Do you currently teach with mini-novels in class?
If yes, what mini-novels do you read with your classes?
What types of activities do you already utilize when teaching with mini-novels?
4. Why read with or tell stories to students?
The "Comprehension Hypothesis": We acquire language when we understand what people tell us and what we read. There is no need for deliberate memorization; rather, firm knowledge of grammatical rules (a feel for correctness) and a large vocabulary gradually emerge as language acquirers get more "comprehensible input," aural or written language that is understood.
In support of the Comprehension Hypothesis are many studies showing that foreign language classes that contain more "comprehensible input" produce superior results when compared to traditional classes: Comprehensible input students do far better on tests of communication and at least as well on grammar tests.
Stephen Krashen
Second Language "Standards For Success": Out Of Touch With Language Acquisition Research
5. Activities to use with Mini-Novels
Pre Reading Activities During Reading Activities Post Reading Activities
6. Pre-Reading Activities
Analyze the book cover
Study culture & country where book is based
Pre-teach vocabulary
Reading Action Chain
Predictions
7. Book Cover
Discuss characters & pictures on cover
Write a short description of book cover in
target language to read with class
Discuss plot & background of story
in great detail
Discuss book title
Translate back cover to target language
and read as a class
Probable character traits
8. Study Country & Culture
Geography
States, provinces & capital
Flag, colors, significance
National symbols: flowers, trees, bird,
music, dance,
Cultural words or phrases
Economy & export products
Money & value
Environment, national Parks, animals & wildlife
Traditional food & drinks
9. Study Country & Culture
Present information with:
a fill-in-the-blank worksheet
a bookmark to color that has space to take notes on country
a webquest
a competition using Socrative
a jigsaw
10. Cultural Participation & Research Project (CPR)
Cook food
Visit restaurant
Reproduce famous artwork
Create a mask
Take a dance lesson
Watch a movie
Adrián Gómez
11. CPR Project
Project includes:
Evidence: 7 pictures with captions in Spanish
Minimum 1 page research paper
Action, Connection, Reflection form
Parent note
Project plan
Cynthia Leathers
12. Pre-teach Vocabulary
Teacher needs to read book first
Select vocabulary that students don’t know
Select most high frequency words to teach
Go narrow & deep, not broad & shallow
Don’t pick too much vocabulary!
Slideshows
Stories
Personalized questions
17. Pre-teach Vocabulary
Personal Questions & Answers
Start with a vocabulary word or phrase
Brainstorm as many questions as possible
“Brains Crave Novelty” – Carol Gaab
Use polleverywhere.com
Four square – vote with feet
Post-it note responses
Surveymonkey.com
Gallery walk
Whiteboards
2 lines / Stand up if…
20. Pre-teach Vocabulary
Total Physical Response (TPR)
TPR up to 7 words or phrases
Class creates gesture
Praise and compliment student who creates gesture
Class performs gesture when you say that word/phrase
Use notecards to review
Say word – students perform gesture
Show word – teacher says word/phrase
Teacher acts out – students say word/phrase
21. Reading Action Chain
Write sentences in a story-like sequence that use target structure vocabulary
Project sentences on board out of order
Discuss with partner what you think logical order is
Hand out cut up sentence strips
Students act out sentence strips in a logical order
Class must watch and say what they are acting out
Carol Gaab
22. Reading Action Chain
Donkey ran very fast to Princess Fiona’s house
Princess Fiona was listening to rock music and didn’t hear the phone
Donkey said, very tired, “Let’s go eat!”
Princess Fiona was very scared and screamed
Shrek called Princess Fiona to eat frogs one night
Donkey kicked down Princess Fiona’s door
Shrek yelled out, “Donkey, go get Princess Fiona!”
23. Reading Action Chain
Shrek called Princess Fiona to eat frogs one night
Princess Fiona was listening to rock music and didn’t hear the phone
Shrek yelled out, “Donkey, go get Princess Fiona!”
Donkey ran very fast to Princess Fiona’s house
Donkey kicked down Princess Fiona’s door
Princess Fiona was very scared and screamed
Donkey said, very tired, “Let’s go eat!”
24. Predictions
Create a list of statements about each chapter
Students read & decide whether they think it is true or false
Go back to predictions after chapter and review
Correct false statements
Students write own prediction before reading
Correct & support with evidence from text
Prediction Games
Fortune teller
Magic 8 Ball
Word Clouds
25. Word Cloud Predictions
www.wordle.net
http://worditout.com/
www.tagxedo.com
Type text of chapter into word cloud generator
Highlights most repeated words
Students write prediction based on word cloud
Carol Gaab
26. More Prediction Activities
Project pictures or illustrations that portray plot of chapter
Discuss plot and make predictions
Project quotes from chapter
Guess who will say it
Guess how that character will say it
Teach/review emotions
Say quote happily, sadly, angrily, shyly, excitedly, etc…
Carol Gaab
27. More Prediction Activities
Project color coded sentences from story plot
Give students strips of paper in different colors
Sequence in logical order
Follow up with a writing activity
Write sentence in between each sentence to add details to and fill out the story
Carol Gaab
28. Methods to Read a Chapter
Group choral reading
With a partner
With a group
Listen to audio book on CD
Give word cloud of chapter
Highlight words as they hear them
Highlighter wars – competition between two students
29. Methods to Read a Chapter
Go slowly, circle, PQA
Check for comprehension often
Chorally translate after every paragraph
Skip some paragraphs or pages if they aren’t interesting or aren’t essential
Spin scene from paragraph
Instead of Ana studying in Spain and being worried about going to a bullfight, it’s actually your student Ben!
Ask questions. Create a new, parallel storyline. See where it takes you. Continue if the parallel story has energy. Stop and continue with book if it doesn’t.
30. During-Reading Activities
Key or Taboo Word
Teacher is forbidden from saying word. Only students can say it.
I heard it! (Martina Bex)
Project translations of key words or phrases
Use 1-2 per page of text
Add in 2-3 fake ones that aren’t in text – identify at end
Read chapter as class or in groups
Listen for words or phrases, raise hand, and shout, “I heard it!”
Student must read translation of quote just read
31. During-Reading Activities
Class vs. Student (Kristy Placido)
Select one of your top students in class. Everyone knows how smart and talented this individual is.
Make it a comprehension competition between the class and student. See who can translate a specific piece of text faster and keep track of points.
Class Comprehension Wars
Divide class into groups of 2-4
Randomly call on them to link meaning
32. Post-Reading Activities
Review Characters
Quotes from the novel
Running Dictation
Retell the Story
Reader’s Theater
Freeze Frame Snapshots
Games
Comprehension Quizzes
33. Connect to the Characters
Trait
Revealed by
List characteristics
Back-up with evidence from text
34. Connect to the Characters
Compare the characters to yourself
Compare two characters within the book
Describe how and why the characters have changed
35. Connect to the Characters
Yearbook Awards
Most likely to…
succeed
become president/nun/model/teacher/comedian
go into politics
win the lottery but lose the ticket
have a reality TV show
commit a crime
solve a crime
be the victim of a crime
Carol Gaab
36. Connect to the Characters
Best…
dressed
hair
smile
pick-up lines
poker face
sense of humor
musician
legs
laugh
Carol Gaab
37. Connect to the Characters
Make students explain why character was chosen for that award
Show evidence from the novel
6 word memoir
Draw characters name from hat
Must summarize character in 6 words
Can save memoirs written by other students and use as a reading/listening activity
Use http://pic-collage.com/ to create collage and write memoir on it
Carol Gaab
38. Quotes from the Novel
Write the names of characters on paper bags
Hand out quotes to students and have them place in bags
Pull out quotes and read – check to see if that is for the correct character
Or ask students to write the quotes and place them in the bags
39. Quotes from the Novel
Who said…?
Provide list of quotes to students & they identify character
Ask students to write a certain number of quotes
Share with partner, small group or class & let others identify the character
Who would say…?
How would they say it?
To whom would they say it?
Carol Gaab
40. Quotes from the Novel
Review Charades
Student acts out quote while group members search for the exact quote they are performing
Say a quote with a variety of emotions
Students illustrate a story board with about six quotes from chapter
41. Running Dictation
Students work in partners
Teacher posts quotes or summaries from book out in hall
Students take turns reading and writing
Cannot write anything down or take a picture out in the hall
First student reads and must tell partner as much as they can remember of the quote while partner writes it down
Switch roles
43. Retell the Story
Rewrite & illustrate main parts of chapter using a blank story board
Write caption to match pictures
Groups of four identify the four most important events from the chapter, four most important character traits, or compare characters in a Venn Diagram
Gallery Walk – travel to different groups to review/assess their work
Use Puppet Pals, Powtoon, Cartoon Strips, Educreations, Photopeach or Voki
Or use vocabulary to create a new story
Reading Whip
44. Retell the Story
Storytelling Dominoes
Make 20 pictures to represent characters or main events from story
Cut up pictures into small rectangles
Students divide up cards in groups of 4-5
Student with first event will lay card down and tell the first part
Student with the second event lays next card down and narrates it etc. until all cards are side by side on the table and the story has been retold
Carrie Toth
45. Reader’s Theater
Reenact a short passage or action scene that you’ve already read
Select & coach actors
Use props & sound effects
Video tape, watch & show to other classes
Demand perfection
Ask other students to model it
Get more reps
Fire and hire a new actor if they aren’t doing well
46. Freeze Frame Snapshots
Divide students into groups of four
Read a short segment
Give students 15 seconds to freeze in a pose that depicts that scene
Class decides if their snapshot is accurate – must reposition if it isn’t
Take a picture of them
Post the picture on the wall or project it
Write caption, speech or thought bubble