This is from David Maust. Anyone looking for ways to fill up a block, take note:
Hi Ben,
I had a lot of fun with this “bottom-up” embedded reading activity today. Wanted to share:
Today I tried an alternative to the regular “PQA-Ask the Story” routine. Instead I used Laurie Clarq and Michele Whaley’s “Bottom-Up Embedded Reading” format that they presented at NTPRS. It was very successful. The kids were very engaged for a whole block period (with a couple brain-breaks) and I got high reps on the structures. There was also not too much dead-time or English use that happens sometimes during the “Asking the Story” format because the details were already decided ahead of time (but still all chosen by the students).
I first gave the kids a short English story script the day before with blanks to fill in like a Matava or Tripp script. They did this on pieces of notebook paper. It took about 5 minutes. The story went like this:
_____ and ______made a trip to _______ because they wanted to ________. When they arrived, they said, “______!” They said that because _________. Then they began to ______.
The Key Structures were:
- -iter fecerunt – made a trip
- -cum pervenissent – when they arrived
- -tum coeperunt – then they began…
I also ended up adding the structure convivari – to party, because that was in my final story I chose.
For the block period (100 minutes) I got:
- 79 reps – iter fecerunt – made a trip
- 67 reps- cum pervenissent – when they arrived
- 78 reps – tum coeperunt – then they began…
- 59 reps – convivari – to party
So after I got the suggestions from the kids, I reviewed them at home and put together a 3 location story script. Then I put each location into a powerpoint slide that would let me add in one sentence at a time.
I asked for the suggestions on Friday before Thanksgiving Break and presented the story on the Monday following the break. I presented it without any PQA; I just put up the first sentence, translated the new words, gave them the ASL signs, had them do the signs and started circling the sentence. It was great and comprehension was high. Then I did the same routine through the first location, taking about 45 min. to do this. I included actors about half-way through and we added a couple details just for fun, but I would actually not do the detail adding again – it was a little distracting. Just keeping to the script was plenty of input by itself.
I also added into my circling some of the other kids’ suggestions orally. This was a good way to use some of the material that didn’t make it into the official written story, but was still funny stuff and supported getting reps on the key structures.
After we had the first location well done and probably about 50 reps on each structure (I checked in with my rep counter), I had the actors sit down and we did a choral translation of the first location.
Then I went through the other two locations more quickly, but still pausing to circle and do comprehension and translation checks. Then we chorally translated each new location, but reading was faster since we had practiced the structures some already. Attention started to wane some on the last location, but this was understandable. Maybe next time I will save the other location(s) for the next day.
The kids gave me positive feedback at the end of the activity and I could tell it was a change of pace that helped hold attention. We’ve done about 5 scripted stories so far this year in addition to mini-stories at the beginning of the year and I felt like they needed a change of routine, especially on the first day back from Thanksgiving break.
Plus, I found that the energy that I needed to deliver in class was less in terms of trying to craft the story on the spot. This was nice for me, especially on the day back from vacation – just having a script there to follow that still had input that kids came up with. And if I did it again, I may only do one or two locations. I found that by the third location attention was starting to wane so it may be better to add in the third location on the following day in an embedded reading instead of doing them all in one day. For a non-block schedule, I think one could easily do one location in one day and still get great reps. I notice I loose a lot of time when you’re asking the story and deciding it, but with this model the asking was done the day before on paper and it only took about 5 min. (but took me about 45 min. at home to put the story together).
My plan for the rest of the week is to present one or two more versions of the base story as embedded readings with added details, titles, dialog, etc. The base story is below.
Laurie and Michelle! Thank you so much! I’m going to do this all the time! – David
STORY:
English version:
Luis and Steve made a trip to Sea World. Luis and Steve wanted to party with the ladies! When they arrived at Sea World, they said, “Woo-woo!” They said that because they saw a lot of ladies. Then Luis and Steve began to play Tactical-Monopoly-Supreme with the ladies.
—
The next day, Luis and Steve made a trip to Middle Earth. Luis and Steve wanted to party with the Hobbit ladies! When they arrived at Middle Earth, they said, “This is stupid!” They said that because they saw Gandalf bobble-heads. Then Luis and Steve began to play softball with the Hobbit ladies.
—
The next day, Luis and Steve made a trip to “Build-a-Bear Workshop” with the Hobbit ladies. The Hobbit Ladies said, “We like Build-a-Bear!” When they arrived at Build-a-Bear Workshop, they said, “O.M.G.!” They said that because they saw a stuffed panda with a jar of peanut butter.
Then Luis and Steve and the Hobbit ladies and the stuffed panda with a jar of peanut butter began to make a trip to Middle Earth because everybody wanted to party in Middle Earth.
Latin version:
Luis et Steve ad Sea World iter fecerunt. Luis et Steve cum feminis convivari volebant! cum ad Sea World pervenissent, dixerunt, “Woo-woo!” hoc dixerunt quod multas feminas viderunt! tum, Luis et Steve Tactical-Monopoly-Supreme cum feminis ludere coeperunt.
—
postridie, Luis et Steve ad Middle Earth iter fecerunt. Luis et Steve cum feminis Hobbitis convivari volebant!!! cum ad Middle Earth pervenissent, dixerunt, “HOC EST STUPIDUM!” hoc dixerunt quod Gandalf Bobble Heads viderunt. tum Luis et Steve cum feminis Hobbitis molipila ludere coeperunt.
—
postridie, Luis et Steve cum feminis Hobbitis ad Build-A-Bear Workshop iter fecerunt. feminae Hobbitae dixerunt, “Build-A-Bear nobis placet!” cum ad Build-A-Bear Workshop pervenissent, dixerunt, “O.M.G.!!!!” hoc dixerunt quod Stuffed-Panda-cum-Peanut-Butter-Jar viderunt. tum Luis et Steve, et feminae Hobbitae, et Stuffed-Panda-cum-Peanut-Butter-Jarad Middle Earth iter facere coeperunt quod omnes in Middle Earth convivari volebant!