unpacking texts with the help of thinking routines · thinking routines are valuable tools and...
TRANSCRIPT
Unpacking Texts with the help of Thinking
Routines
Alice Vigors 2018
When students read they employ a variety of key thinking moves to helpthem think about and unpack what it is they are reading.
Being clear about the thinking students need to do to developunderstanding or to solve problems effectively allows us to target andpromote those kinds of thinking in our questioning, interaction withstudents and the learning experiences we create for and/or with learners.
Thinking routines are valuable tools and structures we can use to helpstudents unpack a range of texts. This resource outlines a few routines youcan easily utilise with your students across a wide-range of learningexperiences.
Thinking Moves
Wondering
Describe What’s There
Build Explanations
Make Connections
Consider Different Viewpoints
Reason with Evidence
Uncovering Complexity
Capture the Heart & Form Conclusions
See Think WonderA really versatile routine that helps learners make careful observations about the visual images portrayed in a text, animation, image etc. These images might be part of the text or be perceived in the learner’s mind based on the words of the author. Using the prompts:
This routine employs 3 simple
questions to help learners unpack
the visual images portrayed in a
text.
❑ What do you see?
❑ What do you think is going on?
❑ What does it make you wonder?
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Adapting the prompts:
There are a number of ways we can
adapt the language of the prompts
to suit our specific needs and
purpose. For example:
❑ What do you see, observe or
notice?
❑ What does it make you think will
happen?
❑ Why do you think this occurred?
❑ What does it make you wonder
and what questions do you have?
Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to describe what’s there,
build explanations and wonder. If a
‘why’ question is utilised it also
helps learners reason with evidence.
See Think Wonder - Thinking Routine
SeeWhat do you see, observe or
notice?
ThinkWhat does it make you think?
WonderWhat does it make you wonder?
Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018
Sentence Picture WordThis routine is an adaptation of the Sentence Phrase Word thinking routine. It helps learners to engage with and make meaning from a text with aparticular focus on making connections. This routine asks learners to consider both the text and visual images to unpack meaning.
Using the prompts:
This routine employs simple
questions to help learners unpack
the text as well as ask them to
justify their thinking with evidence.
❑ What sentence did you connect
with? Why?
❑ Which picture helped support
your understanding of the text?
Why?
❑ Which word captured your
attention? Why?
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Make
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Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to describe what’s there,
build explanations, make
connections and reason with
evidence.
Adapting the prompts:
If the text being used does not have
visual images, the prompt can be
adapted to fit mental pictures. For
example:❑ What mental picture have you created in
your mind as you have read the text?
What clues did the author give to help
you create this picture?
Sentence Picture Word- Thinking Routine
SentenceWhat sentence did you connect with?
Why?
PictureWhich picture helped support your
understanding of the text? Why?
WordWhich word captured your attention?
Why?
Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018
Claim Support QuestionThis routine is another versatile routine that is often associated with Mathematics. However, this routine is great for analysing text themes and probing claims of fact or belief.
Using the prompts:
This routine uses simple prompts to
help learners utilise specific thinking
moves.
❑ What is the claim or theme being
examined?
❑ What evidence is there to support
the claim or theme?
❑ What questions do you still have?
What is missing here? What am I
not being told?
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Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to describe what’s there,
build explanations, reason with
evidence and wondering.
Adapting the prompts:
In gathering evidence to support a
claim or theme, learners may also be
encouraged to find evidence that
disproves or finds discrepancies in a
claim. This has the potential to lead
towards persuasive forms of writing
and debating.
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Claim Support Question - Thinking Routine
ClaimWhat is the claim or theme being
examined?
SupportWhat evidence is there to support
the claim or theme?
QuestionWhat questions do you still have?
What is missing here? What am I not
being told?
Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018
Step InsideThis routine helps learners to view a place, person, situation, event or thing through different lenses and points of view. Examining something from another’s perspective is a notoriously difficult skill for learners to master. This thinking routine really helps them to break down the skills and thinking processes involved in doing this.
Using the prompts:
This routine uses simple questions
to help build the skill of examining
different perspectives.
❑ What does the character see, observe
or notice?
❑ Why do you think these events
occurred? What is their role in these
events?
❑ What does this character care deeply
about? How do you know? Give
evidence.
❑ What puzzles this character?
❑ What questions arise for you about this
character and their actions?
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Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to describe what’s there,
build explanations, reason with
evidence, consider different
viewpoints and wondering.
Adapting the prompts:
The language used for these prompts
can be adapted depending on the text
you are using, the type of
perspectives being explored and the
age of the learner.
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Step Inside- Thinking Routine
SeeWhat does the
character see,
observe or notice?
ThinkWhy do you think
these events
occurred? What is
their role in these
events?
CareWhat does this
character care
deeply about? How
do you know? Give
evidence.
PuzzleWhat puzzles this
character?
QuestionWhat questions arise
for you about this
character and their
actions?
Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018
Main Side HiddenThis routine helps learners to examine multiple narratives that occur in text, image or event by focusing their attention on the main story, side story and the hidden story.
Using the prompts:
❑ What is the main story being told
or depicted?
❑ What is the side story (or stories)
happening on the sidelines or
around the edges that may not
necessarily involve the main
characters?
❑ What is the hidden story – that is
happening below the surface and
isn’t being seen or heard?
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Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to describe what’s there,
consider different viewpoints and
build explanations.
Understanding the prompts:Think of the story like a movie.
❑ Main story: What is happening on
camera to the main character?
❑ Side story: What is happening to the
other characters who aren’t on camera
much and play a supporting role?
❑ Hidden story: What is the theme or key
message that is hidden beneath the
surface of these stories?
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Main Side Hidden - Thinking Routine
MainWhat is the main story being told or
depicted?
SideWhat is the side story (or stories)
happening on the sidelines or around
the edges that may not necessarily
involve the main characters?
HiddenWhat is the hidden story – that is
happening below the surface and
isn’t being seen or heard?
Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018
Peel The FruitThis routine helps learners to ‘peel’ back the layers to gain a deeper understanding of what is going either across the whole text or within a small snippet of text, e.g. a chapter or paragraph.
Using the prompts:
❑ What do you see, observe or
notice?
❑ What questions or puzzles do you
have?
❑ What is this really about?
❑ How does this story fit with your
life? Another text? Your world?
❑ How could we see this from
another perspective?
❑ What is the big idea or message
the author wants us to know?
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Thinking Moves:
This routine supports the learners
ability to use describing what’s
there, wondering, building
explanations, making connections,
considering different viewpoints
and capturing the heart.
Adapting the prompts:
The language used for these prompts
can be adapted depending on the age
of the learner.
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Adapted from Ron Ritchhart Alice Vigors 2018