Reading to Learn: Nonfiction Book Clubs Within a Content Area
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Minilesson 1-3Teaching Point: Nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” Connection: So readers- I heard so many interesting things when I was dropping in on book clubs yesterday. So many people were bringing new learning to their book clubs and adding to the conversation. Sometimes it almost felt like everything was new in these books. We could just talk and talk and talk. I’m glad that so many of you are the kinds of readers who read nonfiction and notice that you’re learning new things as you read. That’s something I want you to do always when you are reading nonfiction. I want you to pick up nonfiction text and expect to learn something from reading it. I want you to finish reading a piece of nonfiction and come out feeling smarter about that topic. That’s why people read nonfiction. Today, I want to teach you how thinking that way can help you during times when you’re reading along and maybe don’t feel like you’re learning as you read. Nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” Teaching: Sometimes when I read, especially nonfiction, I am going along and reading all the words and then a few pages later I realize that I wasn’t really learning much about my book for those pages. Sometimes it’s because I wasn’t really paying careful attention to what I was reading, but other times it doesn’t seem like what I’m reading is important, or that it makes sense with what I already know about the topic. When that happens, I know something is wrong because nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” That’s just what I do when I don’t feel like I’m learning in my own reading. Watch me as I show you a place where this happened to me in our book, and how I used this strategy of slowing down and asking myself, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” Remember that in this book, we are reading about a six month journey the author took through many African countries. This part takes place in Tanzania, after the author has visited Serengeti National Park and told us more about the Masai people who live in Tanzania. I began reading at the part where the author and his group are leaving Serengeti National Park and heading to Mount Kilimanjaro. (begin reading from Come with me to Africa: A Photographic Journey (Kreikmeier, 1993), page 48. I was sorry to learn the Serengeti behind, but I was very excited about our next destination: Mount Kilimanjaro, near the Kenyan border. The famous mountain that I so much wanted to climb is a not-fully-extinct volcano, 19,340 feet high. Covered with glaciers year round, it is the world’s highest free-standing mountain.” Hmm… so as I read this, I’m thinking that I already knew about the many animals of the Serengeti, but this part is talking about icy glaciers. I have to change my thinking about this country. It’s not just the Serengeti, there is ice at the top of the mountain. That must mean it’s not hot everywhere all the time, like I thought it would be. Hmmm… “Thousands of people try to climb the mountain every year, but only about one-third make it to the top. I joined a group of six climbers. Together, we hired a local guide named George, as well as porters to help carry our gear. The climb would take four days. At night we would sleep in wooden huts maintained by the Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. On the second day of the climb, I took out a small kite I had been carrying in a plastic tube. I had brought the kite with me to fly it from the top of the mountain, but first it needed a test flight. George, our guide, was not happy to see the kite. Once we made the dangerous trip to the peak, he did not want any delays.” Hmm… so, okay- the author had a kite and a guide named George… umm… well… I know something is wrong here because nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read, and I don’t know what I should be learning here. Let me slow myself down and look at that again. What could this part be trying to teach me about Tanzania? It says that lots of people try to climb the mountain each year, but only some of them actually make it. Could that be important? I wonder if most of the people trying to climb the mountain are visitors like the author is. Maybe that’s why they have to hire George and porters. Maybe they need help to make it to the top. That tells me that people in Tanzania could work as porters or guides for people trying to climb the mountain. Okay- it told me something about jobs people do there. (model jotting on a post-it) I’m also thinking that if thousands of people try to climb it each year, it sounds like a place lots of people visit. What about the kite part now? What can I learn about Tanzania and Mount Kilimanjaro when he’s talking about his kite? It said that George wasn’t happy to see a kite because once they made the dangerous trip to the peak, he wouldn’t want any delays. Oh! I wonder if maybe the reason only a third of the people make it is because it’s a dangerous trip. But why is the kite important? Hmm… well, I know kites are fun. Maybe he wanted to have fun at the top after a hard climb… but wait, that’s not telling me anything about the country. Umm… something else I know about kites is that they can only fly where it’s windy. I wonder if maybe it’s windy at the top of the mountain. Windy and cold. Interesting. I really thought Tanzania would be hot all the time. I thought all of Africa was hot all the time, but this part is making me change my thinking about Tanzania. Wow readers. Did you see how I did that? Nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” When I did that, I was able to get so much more from this page. It taught me more about jobs, weather and places to see in Tanzania. Active Engagement: Now it’s your turn to try it. I took a few pages from the book Africa (2001), by Allan Fowler (p. 18-21). You and your partner are going to do just what all nonfiction readers do. Nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” When you finish reading the words, slow yourself down and ask yourselves that question. When you have an answer in your head, you can turn and talk with your partner about what you think this part is trying to teach you about Africa. I noticed many groups saying that Africa has lots of different kinds of animals. They thought that was what the author was trying to teach you about Africa here. That makes sense with the pictures. I heard this group over here saying something interesting. I heard them say that in the first part, the animals weren’t safe because their homes were being cut down and in the second part, they said it was a safe place for the animals. That made them think that maybe African animals weren’t always safe and the animals needed to be protected in places like national parks. That makes sense with the pictures and the words, doesn’t it? So we had some ideas about what the author might be trying to teach us about Africa from this part of the story. When we looked at the pictures only, we might have thought it was just about the kinds of animals that are there, but when we read on and asked ourselves about what we were learning, we figured out so much more. Link: Today and every day I want you to remember that nonfiction readers expect to learn about a topic as they read. When a reader does not feel like they are learning, one way readers can support themselves is by slowing down and asking themselves, “What could this part be trying to teach me about this topic?” You can ask yourself that question any time you’re not feeling like you are learning from your reading. 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