For this activity, you will be using all of that knowledge about reading purposes and strategies to put together a slideshow presentation that offers an overview on these topics and provides specific examples of them in action.
Imagine that you have been asked to create this presentation for a classmate who has been absent from class for several weeks while the rest of your class has been learning all about the purposes behind reading and critical reading strategies. Your teacher has asked you to create a presentation that paraphrases and provides an overview on the information that your class has been learning, complete with specific examples.
The details that you are given for creating this presentation are as follows:
Title Slide
Choose a title that best expresses the content that will be included in the presentation
Purposes for Reading (one slide for each purpose, five total)
For each purpose (to discover, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, to solve a problem):
briefly explain/describe each purpose
provide one example of text that fits this purpose; find an example online and copy an excerpt from it. (i.e., for enjoyment, you might copy a small excerpt from Harry Potter)
Self-Monitoring Reading Strategies (one slide for each, choose three strategies)
Choose three strategies that you feel are the most helpful to highlight in this presentation:
Preview
Figure out your purpose
Draw on prior knowledge
Paraphrase and take notes
Apply to your life
Underline words/passages
Re-read
Pause regularly
Ask questions
Briefly explain each of the three strategies that you choose and provide an example of them in action (i.e., for paraphrasing, you might find a difficult excerpt of text and actually paraphrase it in your slide)
Work-Related Documents
Choose two work-related documents from the list below to work with for this part of the presentation:
W-4
I-9
Company benefits plan
Timesheet
Paystub
Performance review
Health insurance plan
Tax forms
401k
For each document that you choose:
Find an example of the document online and copy/paste it into the slide
Briefly describe the document and the purpose it serves
Answer the following questions about the document:
What information are you getting from this document?
How were you able to understand it?
Did you need to look up any information to help you better understand the document?
How would you change this document to make it easier for you to understand? Describe these changes.
Be sure to include a slide that lists websites where you found and used any information that was included in your presentation.
Title Slide:
Understanding Reading Purposes and Strategies
Purposes for Reading:
1. To Discover:
- This purpose involves reading to explore new information or ideas.
- Example: "National Geographic article on the Great Barrier Reef"
2. To Understand:
- The purpose of understanding is to comprehend the meaning and concepts of a text.
- Example: "Excerpt from 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Harper Lee"
3. To Interpret:
- This purpose focuses on analyzing and interpreting the deeper meaning of a text.
- Example: "Poem 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost"
4. To Enjoy:
- Reading for enjoyment involves finding pleasure, entertainment, or relaxation in a text.
- Example: Excerpt from 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone' by J.K. Rowling"
5. To Solve a Problem:
- This purpose involves reading to find solutions or answers to specific problems or questions.
- Example: "Article on 'Effective Time Management Strategies'"
Self-Monitoring Reading Strategies:
1. Preview:
- Strategy to gain an overview of the text before reading.
- Example: Pre-reading the table of contents and chapter titles of a book.
2. Draw on Prior Knowledge:
- Using personal experiences and existing knowledge to make connections with the text.
- Example: Relating a science text to a previous hands-on experiment.
3. Underline Words/Passages:
- Highlighting important information or unfamiliar words for better comprehension.
- Example: Underlining key terms in a psychology research article.
Work-Related Documents:
1. W-4 (Employee's Withholding Certificate)
- Used to determine the amount of income tax withheld from an employee's paycheck.
- Information received: Employee's personal and tax information, including allowances.
- Understandability: Clear instructions and guidance on how to complete the form.
- Additional information needed: Clarification of terms like "exemptions" and "credits."
- Improvement: Simplify language and provide more examples or explanations.
2. Timesheet:
- Records an employee's working hours for payroll purposes.
- Information received: Date, time in/out, project/task descriptions, and total hours worked.
- Understandability: Simple format with clear headings and instructions.
- Additional information needed: Explanation of special codes or abbreviations used.
- Improvement: Include a glossary of codes or provide tooltips for commonly used terms.
Websites Used:
- National Geographic: www.nationalgeographic.com
- Project Gutenberg: www.gutenberg.org
- Spotify (for audiobooks): www.spotify.com
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS): www.irs.gov
- CareerOneStop: www.careeronestop.org