Well, I have just completed the first two article readings that are due this upcoming class meeting (Tuesday, 9/11) and have to admit that by far I took more away from Katz article on the Sir Ernest Shackleton thematic unit than the Boyd article on multiculturalism. Although both were very informative, albeit in different ways, the Katz article did an exceptional job of laying out (to the day) how a 4-6 week thematic unit can be approached surronding a nonfiction book. What I found to be most beneficial was how the developers of this unit implemented a number of strategies that covered many intelligence areas. My favorites included the "frontloading" approaches (i.e. Directed Viewing-Thinking Activity and Character Quotes) used to spark interest in a given text. Immediately in the introduction of the Katz article, it is stated that the developers of that unit had set out to build a "template in which, with few exceptions, a teacher could plug any book and happily and effectively teach reading content for four to six weeks" (Katz, 38). Undoubtedly, I see that the developers succeeded in their attempts and in doing so, have given me as an aspiring educator a tool to build any thematic unit around.
Great Job!
No comments:
Post a Comment