Text Box Activity
"The purpose of the Text Box Activity is to help readers build background knowledge about a topic . According to Cambourne, learners construct meaning by participating in authentic interactions that enable them to transform the knowledge they acquire. Fuhler Farris, and Nelson expanded upon this idea acknowledging that the use of artifacts to build background knowledge allows students to bridge the gap between the words in the text and the objects or concepts they represent." (Miller and Veatch, 2011) With the activity, students see and hold real objects that are going to be featured in the text. This strategy is similar to Pre-Teaching Vocabulary, however, with this strategy the teacher chooses objects based on the concept's importance in understanding the text. Below are two examples of how you might implement this strategy in your class.
Example 1:
- Identify the text that students will be reading.
- In preperation, identify 5 to 7 concepts within the text that are both important to the meaning of the text and can be represented by an object.
- Find objects that represent these words or concepts and put them in a box.
- When the lesson begins, give a brief introduction of the topic but don't give too much away.
- Next pull out one object at a time and discuss how they might be connected to the text.
- As students read the text, have them find the words or concepts that the objects represented.
- At the conclusion of the reading, show each of the items, and review how they connected to the text.
Example 2:
- Choose the topic that you are going to read or discuss.
- Select items that can represent pieces of the text or topic of discussion.
- Set one item in front of every two students.
- Introduce the topic you are going to read or discuss.
- Next tell the students that the items in front of them relate to the topic and that it is their job to figure how.
- With their partner they have 1 minute to discuss how their item relates to the topic.
- Now you will lead a discussion asking questions about certain objects and what the importance of it is to the topic. When doing this you are trying to get students to think deeper and really pull out prior knowledge.
- After going over each item you will read the text or discuss the topic at hand.
- After your discussion or reading you will review the items and write down the importance of each to the topic.
Video Resources
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The video to the left shows how a teacher is using the text box activity in a listening center. The general idea is the same but it would be an individual activity instead of a group activity. She does an excellent job of describing the props and how to chose them so that they are reinforcing the text helping students make deeper more meaningful connections.
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The video to the right is a great example of a text box type activity. In this specific video the teacher has students working in pairs to discuss the specific item that she gave them, which helps them be engaged and on task during the work time. Once students discuss their items she has a very well planned discussion with specific questions that elicit certain information from the students helping them build the background knowledge. Because she is constantly assessing the students throughout the activity she is able to keep the conversation moving in the direction of the topic, which really makes the entire class engaged.
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Writing and Text Box Activities
In the text box activity there isn't really a preset portion where the student is going to be working on writing. As the teacher you can easily adapt and modify so that at any point during the activity students are writing information down. Some spots that you could add a writing portion to this activity is when you are discussing the objects and their importance to the text. Another spot that you could easily add writing is when you are done reading and you have a better idea of the meaning of the objects. At this point you could have the students write down what each object meant to the text.
In the text box activity there isn't really a preset portion where the student is going to be working on writing. As the teacher you can easily adapt and modify so that at any point during the activity students are writing information down. Some spots that you could add a writing portion to this activity is when you are discussing the objects and their importance to the text. Another spot that you could easily add writing is when you are done reading and you have a better idea of the meaning of the objects. At this point you could have the students write down what each object meant to the text.
References
Listening Center: Supporting Understanding with Props (Virtual Tour). (2012). Retrieved July 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH2kmh3a6EI
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Using props to teach geography at secondary school level. (2012). Retrieved July 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCCzzsXWXPw
Listening Center: Supporting Understanding with Props (Virtual Tour). (2012). Retrieved July 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH2kmh3a6EI
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): Choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Using props to teach geography at secondary school level. (2012). Retrieved July 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCCzzsXWXPw