Key Questions
- How can I help learners to identify the main ideas in the text? Sometimes they just highlight all the words they don’t know and think that’s it!
- When they are reading, how can I teach learners to take proper notes from the texts instead of rewriting everything word-for-word?
Step 2: During Reading
Read the NS News below. Make sure you page through all the pages and find out how to help learners access the main idea in scientific texts.
How else can you use PRISM in your Natural Science Class?
Choose the tool you want to use. We show you how make Prism and InsertLearning in the sections below. Prism is a simpler version and InsertLearning is slightly more complex. You only need to create ONE of these to use in your class. If you have time, make both. Otherwise, go straight to the InsertLearning activity.
Create your own Prism
Open your account
Make sure you have signed into your Prism account.
Choose the CREATE option or go to the top option, MY PRISMS and choose NEW PRISM.
Insert Text
Insert the text you want learners to highlight. You can copy this from any source you want to use for this purpose.
In the spaces on the right, add in the Title, author, date published and description.
IMPORTANT! At the top, indicate what learners should highlight in the text!
Assign usage rights
At the bottom of the form, make sure you indicate if your Prism should be unlisted and what the copyright it.
Insert Learning
Did you notice you couldn’t add any graphics in Prism? This means learners couldn’t engage with diagrams or charts. So while Prism may work well for some lessons or text types, other EdTech tools may be needed for more complex or graphically intense texts. Insert Learning is may be just what you’re looking for.
Insert Learning is a free Google Chrome extension. That means you need to ADD it to your Google Chrome browser.
Once it is installed, you can add questions, comments or activities to virtually any website. It also integrates seamlessly with Google Classroom.
Test-Run Insert Learning
- Install the Insert Learning Add On
- Go to the Machine Design website we visited previously for Energy conversion (the link is on the left).
- Play with the tools in Insert Learning to embed at least 5 questions and 1 animation to support DURING reading activities.
- Share your work with at least 2 colleagues and get them to complete the tasks and submit it to you. How did they do?
Do you need more help with Insert Learning? Watch the Limina video below to see how you can use this great tool. Remember you can press pause and rewatch sections as much as you like.
Note Taking
Note taking is a critical skill to develop for young scientists. When taking notes, learners are actively reading and making meaning of the text they engage with. Below are some simple steps to help learners take notes when they read.
Templates to help learners take notes
Learners may find it challenging to know where to start with note taking or what to write down.
Follow the link and discover some templates that you can share with learners to support their note taking.
Reflect on your learning
- In the past two units you learnt about reading and how you can use it in Natural Science. Reflect on your own learning journey in the past two units.
- How can you apply what you learnt?
With learners able to identify the main points from text and to take notes, let’s explore how we can prepare them for Step 3: AFTER reading.
Mark this unit as complete before moving on to the next unit.
