Follow-up Materials

Assessment for Learning Resource Bank Web-based Learning and Teaching Support

Learning and Teaching Activity – Reading for Main Ideas

Learning objectives:

Text Types	Articles Dialogues Diaries Notes
Vocabulary	Words for reading comprehension text, article, main idea, important words, summarize Words from texts that need elaboration St Patrick's Day, Depression, Academy Awards, Gold Rush, Motor Age, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
Language Items and Communicative Functions	Using simple past tense to record events Using simple present tense to record plans Using simple present tense to explain and illustrate ideas and steps in extracting ideas and information
Language Skills	Reading Writing: Summarizing
Generic Skills	Study skills: working independently; Extracting important points and making notes when reading; Organizing materials information and ideas systematically; Development of an awareness of the information and ideas that key words in texts carry;

Relevant Basic Competency Descriptors:

L6-R-1-S3BC Using an increasing range of reading strategies to understand the meaning of texts with some degree of complexity (IS, KS, ES)

L6-R-2-S3BC Extracting and organizing information and ideas from texts with some degree of complexity (KS)

L6-W-1-S3BC Writing a variety of texts of different purposes with relevant and generally adequate content (IS, KS, ES)

L6-W-2-S3BC Writing a variety of texts of using punctuation marks, and a range of vocabulary and language patterns with some degree of appropriacy and accuracy to convey meaning (IS, KS, ES)

L6-W-3-S3BC Writing a variety of texts with adequate overall planning and organization (including the use of cohesive devices and paragraphs and sequencing of ideas) (KS)

L6-W-4-S3BC Writing a variety of texts using tone, style and register generally appropriately with the help of cues (IS, KS, ES)

L5-W-5-S3BC Writing a variety of text using the salient features of a range of genres generally appropriately with the help of cues (IS, KS, ES)

Level of Difficulty

Preliminary to S3BC (at S1 level)

To S3BC (at S1 to S2 level)

At S3BC (at S3 level)

Activity	Description	Suggested duration (minutes)
Activity 1 Preview Download	Learning to find main ideas in articles Students are taught how to find out important words and main ideas by finding answers to 'what', 'where', 'who' questions and put the information they have found into different types of exercises.	30
Activity 2 Preview Download	Part I: Practice in reading for main ideas Students are asked to read two texts and write out main ideas in them. Part II: Test on reading for main ideas Students are asked to read for main ideas and write them out in three test types.	40
Activity 3 Preview Download	Extended Activity - Writing a diary entry Students are asked to read a note and a dialogue and write a diary entry with the information extracted from them.	40

Key Stage 3 Targets:

To develop an ever-improving capability to use English:

KSa-	To provide or find out, select, organize and present information on familiar and less familiar topics
KSb-	To interpret and use more extensive information through thorough processes or activities such as sequencing, describing, classifying, comparing, explaining, predicting, inferring, summarizing and drawing conclusions
KSf-	To understand how the English Language works in relation to basic differences between formal and informal contexts are organized and expressed; and apply this understanding to one’s learning and use of the language