Research Strategies for Reading Complex Texts

Write to the Core!
Energize Research
Reading and Writing
Christopher Lehman
July 17, 2013
Wisconsin State Reading Association 1-Day Institute – Wausau, WI
© CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN

*excerpts from the Common Core State Standards are Copyright 2010. National
Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State
School Officers. All rights reserved.
*All other visible images are attributed and/or used with permission.
*This Slideshare version of the presentation has some slides blacked out due to
type of permission granted

@iChrisLehman
#WSRAresearch

Why Teach Research
Skills?

To be ready for college, workforce training, and life in a technological society,
students need the ability to gather, comprehend, evaluate, synthesize, and
report on information and ideas, to conduct original research in order to
answer questions or solve problems, and to analyze and create a high volume
and extensive range of print and nonprint texts in media forms old and new.
The need to conduct research and to produce and consume media is
embedded into every aspect of today’s curriculum. In like fashion, research
and media
skills and understandings are embedded throughout the Standards
rather than treated in a separate section.

SBAC - Math (Draft)
Christopher Lehman 2012© CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN

research
vs

research
© CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN Image licensed for use under Creative Commons
atryingyouth

• Plagiarism
• Regurgitation
• No learning, no retention
rch

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2012
Study guide or research?
So, I have always considered myself a good teacher. I teach all ages of high
school and kids like to take my biology classes. I get along with all kinds of
student. I have been doing this for 20 years and it wasn't until THIS year that I
realize that I could have been doing SO much better. You see, I now have my
son in my classroom taking AP biology. I now see how students view and do the
work I assign. I now see that I have been doing it wrong for 20 years (well, if not
wrong, then poorly).
I usually assign a study guide and reading from the text as homework. Well, last
week I read @ichrislehman post on research in education. I thought about it and
realized that I was guilty of telling kids what to research. So with my AP class, I
tried a bit of a simple experiment, one that I could not do without my son in the
class to observe his at-home work actions.
Pete VanKempen
used with permission of the author

I assigned my normal 2 page study guide on fermentation (alcoholic and lactate)
for them to do. This study guide is as comprehensive as I could make it with all of
the information they needed to know. I also assigned them to summarize this
question: How are muscle contraction, beer and bread making related?
I then was able to observe my son as he worked. It took him approximately 15
minutes to complete the study guide. He had his book in front of him but, rather
than reading it, he merely looked through the text for the answers or copied down
the diagrams as necessary. He then attacked the question. 5 minutes in, he says
"this question is dumb." "I can't find the answer anywhere." Being a pretty good
student, he spent another 20 minutes poring over the text before slamming it shut.
I asked him what the problem was and he said "I have no idea how to answer that
question." I then asked him why not? "I can't find the answer in the book." What
he meant was: "I am so used to just looking for the correct answer, I have no
idea how to RESEARCH and CONNECT to come up with an answer that works."
After thinking for a while, he logged on to a computer and managed to come up
with a response but then said , "But I have no idea if it is right or not.”

All I could think is...why have I not done this all the time? He spent far more time
and learned WAY more by trying to answer one simple question than he did on
the whole 2 page "study guide". AND his answer is not really copyable. In other
words, anyone can do the study guide and give it to everyone else...not everyone
can come up with an original response to a research question.
I think we have been shortchanging kids in education for a long time now. We
have been teaching our kids to "use the glossary" and "look it up in the dictionary"
and " fill out this study guide (which to students means test review guide) and
memorize it and you will get a good grade" when we should be getting them to
see connections and answer simple questions with deep meaning. If I can get my
students to spend 20 minutes researching a simple question, they will learn more
than if they fill out a rote form. I think I taught that way because that is how I was
taught. Now I don’t have to teach that way anymore. It is freeing. The trick will
be to come up with interesting questions that make the topic researchable. But
that is fun! And way less work for me than making a 4 page study guide on
anything

PhotoDu.de
Saltygal
hjl
Images licensed for use under Creative Commons© CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN 2013

is a process, not just a product.
The better the process the better the product.
However, the reverse is not necessarily true.

INDEPENDENCE

We need to rethink this
NOW INSTEAD
• ASSIGNING AND
HAND-OUTS
• COPYING TEXTS
• FACTS SHOVED INTO
PARAGRAPHS
• START WHERE
RESEARCH
ACTUALLY STARTS
• TAKE NOTES ON
LEARNING, NOT
BOOKS
• WRITE TO TEACH
(AND LEARN)

Start Where Research
Starts

FREAKING OUT RESEARCH
• TOPIC: BABY!
• GATHERED: EVERYTHING!
• WHERE TO BEGIN?:
EVERYWHERE!
• NARROW IT DOWN?: THROUGH
TRYING OUT SOURCES…

NOW INSTEAD
• ASSIGNING AND
HAND-OUTS
• START WHERE
RESEARCH
ACTUALLY STARTS

START WITH YOU
• KNOW A LOT| SOME | LITTLE

START WITH YOU
• Test out your knowledge

image from Energize Research Reading and Writing

I think I know…
Another example…
I’m not as sure about…
I am really wondering…

START WITH YOU
• Test out your knowledge
• Specific audience matters

LET SOURCES GUIDE YOU
• What is Available is What is Available
• Make a Plan for Using Texts

chillihead
Images licensed for use under Creative Commons© CHRISTOPHER LEHMAN
aubergene
-Xv
*USB*

LET SOURCES GUIDE YOU
• What is Available is What is Available
• Make a Plan for Using Texts
• Read first
• Use parts
• Read last

“Text Complexity”
image from Common Core State Standards

Though in Meat the XXXX XXXX of the XXXX on display does
seem to be XXXX , as the cows and pigs XXXX come XXXX into
XXXX and bloodless XXXX cuts. In recent years some of this
supermarket XXXX has XXXX into XXXX , where you’ll now ﬁnd
formerly XXXX potatoes cubed XXXX white, and “baby” carrots
XXXX -XXXX into neatly XXXX XXXX . But in general here in
XXXX and XXXX you don’t need to be a XXXX , much less a food
scientist, to know what XXXX you’re tossing into your cart.
XXXX farther, though, and you come to XXXX of the supermarket
where the very XXXX of XXXX seems increasingly XXXX : the
XXXX of breakfast cereals and condiments; the freezer cases
stacked with “home meal XXXX ” and bagged XXXX
peas…Plants? Animals?! Though it might not always seem that
way, even the XXXX Twinkie is XXXX out of . . . well, XXXX what I
don’t know offhand, but XXXX some sort of formerly living creature,
i.e., a species. We haven’t yet begun to XXXX our foods from
XXXX , at least not directly.
http://michaelpollan.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/omnivore_excerpt.pdf

Though in Meat the XXXX character of the species on display does seem
to be fading, as the cows and pigs increasingly come XXXX into boneless
and bloodless XXXX cuts. In recent years some of this supermarket
XXXX has seeped into Produce, where you’ll now ﬁnd formerly soil-XXXX
potatoes cubed XXXX white, and “baby” carrots machine-XXXX into
neatly tapered cylinders. But in general here in ﬂora and fauna you don’t
need to be a XXXX , much less a food scientist, to know what species
you’re tossing into your cart.
Venture farther, though, and you come to regions of the supermarket
where the very notion of species seems increasingly XXXX : the canyons
of breakfast cereals and condiments; the freezer cases stacked with
“home meal replacements” and bagged XXXX peas…Plants? Animals?!
Though it might not always seem that way, even the deathless Twinkie is
constructed out of . . . well, precisely what I don’t know offhand, but
ultimately some sort of formerly living creature, i.e., a species. We
haven’t yet begun to XXXX our foods from XXXX , at least not directly.

Though in Meat the creaturely character of the species on display does
seem to be fading, as the cows and pigs increasingly come subdivided
into boneless and bloodless geometrical cuts. In recent years some of
this supermarket euphemism has seeped into Produce, where you’ll
now ﬁnd formerly soil-encrusted potatoes cubed pristine white, and
“baby” carrots machine-lathed into neatly tapered cylinders. But in
general here in ﬂora and fauna you don’t need to be a naturalist, much
less a food scientist, to know what species you’re tossing into your cart.
Venture farther, though, and you come to regions of the supermarket
where the very notion of species seems increasingly obscure: the
canyons of breakfast cereals and condiments; the freezer cases
stacked with “home meal replacements” and bagged platonic
peas…Plants? Animals?! Though it might not always seem that way,
even the deathless Twinkie is constructed out of . . . well, precisely
what I don’t know offhand, but ultimately some sort of formerly living
creature, i.e., a species. We haven’t yet begun to synthesize our foods
from petroleum, at least not directly.

NOW INSTEAD
• COPYING TEXTS • TAKE NOTES ON
LEARNING, NOT
BOOKS

Now I Have Books,
Now What?:
Informational Reading and
Note-taking

IMAGE OF NOTES – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLINE

Debbiemillman.com also Doug Neil
IMAGE OF NOTES – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLINE

Taking Notes on Learning, Not
Books
• Read, Cover and Jot, Reread

Books
• Read, Cover and Sketch, Reread

Note-taking Is Informed By Deep
Thinking (Writing Standard 9)

Books
• Let the Text Direct Your Note-taking

IMAGE OF STUDENT WORK – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLINE

Books
• Let the Text Direct Your Note-taking
• Revise Notes, Like Revising Writing

“Return To” Page
image from Energize Research Reading and Writing

NOW INSTEAD
PARAGRAPHS
• WRITE TO TEACH
(AND LEARN)

Write to Teach (And Learn)

TEACHING-THROUGH-
WRITING
• Study Mentor Texts for TEACHING

IMAGE OF PUBLISHED WORK – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLINE

A Few Ways of “Teaching-Through-Writing”
• Imagined narratives
• anecdotes, “PBS special” narration, etc.
• Comparisons
• Step-by-step explanations
• Questions and answers
• Previewing, Explaining, Then Reminding
• “there are [three main parts to this]…
[one]…., [two]…., [three]…, those [three
main parts] make up…”
• Teaching through text features
• graphs, charts, maps, definitions, “Fun
Facts” boxes, photos, etc.

TEACHING-THROUGH-
WRITING
• Study Mentor Texts for TEACHING
• Experiments with TEACHING

TRY IT - “Teaching-Through-Writing”
• Imagined Narratives
• anecdotes, “PBS special” narration, etc.
• Comparisons
• Step-by-Step Explanations
• Questions and Answers
• Previewing, Explaining, Then Reminding
• “there are [three main parts to this]…
[one]…., [two]…., [three]…, those [three
main parts] make up…”
• Teaching through Text Features
• graphs, charts, maps, definitions, “Fun
Facts” boxes, photos, etc.

A Few Ways to Organize Sections/Texts
• Sequence
• Causes and effects
• Pros and cons
• Main Topic and subtopics
• Controlling Idea and supports

Trade Books
or
iBooks
(“iBook Author” App)

It isn’t often that a single man can bring laughter
and joy to people in dark times. Chaplin offered a
place to forget about whatever problems life was
throwing at you, and just enjoy your self. In all of
his ﬁlms, the audience left smiling,this is perhaps
one of his greatest accomplishments.
3
THE TOP HITS
IMAGE OF STUDENT WORK – NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLINE

Arguments,
Speeches
or
Essays

V is for Vegetarian
Remember that field trip to the farm in second grade? How you
petted the friendly lamb, or when you and your friends moo-ed at the
silly cow? Yep, those are the same exact animals that might be on your
dinner plate tonight. Vegetarianism is the practice of not eating meat,
where you eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, and anything not meat related
instead. A stricter form of vegetarianism is veganism, where you avoid
meat and anything animal related, like honey (which is related to bees)
or dairy products (which is related to cows and other animals). I think
that more people should become vegetarian. It is eco-friendly, animal-
friendly, and health-friendly making it a win-win-win situation. I myself
want to go vegetarian, but unfortunately I am not in total control of my
life right now and my mom won’t let me. But I’ll show her and all of the
meat-eaters of the world, meat doesn’t equal survival!

Section One: “I Am Not a Nugget!”
One of the big reasons vegetarianism is supported is to save and protect
animals. Whether it’s a cat purring in your lap or cows grazing in the field,
they are still living creatures. Humans are no better than them, we are
animals ourselves! It puzzles me as to why people think that they are
superior to animals. Can we feel emotions such as joy, fear, anger, or
sadness? If we can, then why can’t they? We can also feel physical pain, so
why shouldn’t they be able to? No one is beneath or above anybody, we are
all equal. When I sit at the dinner table and am about to take a bite out of the
pork chop my mom made, I can just picture the big eyes of the poor pig that
was living a good life before he was slaughtered and put my fork down.

Some people might argue that it’s natural for animals to die because they can’t
live forever and will eventually die anyways. I agree that it is true, that is the life
cycle after all, but the way that people kill animals is cruel and disgusting. The
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says that “ They are
neglected, mutilated, genetically manipulated, put on drug regimens that cause
chronic pain and crippling, transported through all weather extremes, and killed
in gruesome and violent ways”. How would you like it if I dumped you into a tub
of boiling hot water while you’re still conscious, Mr. Farmer Man?! The way that
people ruthlessly kill these creatures is what makes me and other vegetarians
around the world sick. PETA’s statistics also say that more than 16 million
animals are killed every year. We are killing way too many animals and eating
way too much meat, and the consequences can be devastating.

Digital Publication

popcorn.webmaker.org
iMovie or
Windows Movie Maker

Citation Isn’t Scary

There is help… if you know
how to use it…
• To Reference:
• Purdue OWL
• Automatic makers:
• Easybib
• BibMe

Habits of citation over
memorization
• Citation as a Code

Cracking the Code
1. Type of information
2. Order
3. How is it formatted?
• Capital/lowercase
• Punctuation
• Italics

LEHMAN. christopher! (Brown Hair)
brown eyes, Shoes.

Making Students Our
Curriculum

Structures  Habits
Habits  Independence

1. Collecting
2. Rehearsing
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing
6. Publishing/Celebration
Familiar Writing Process Steps

Writing
Process Steps
1. Collecting
Gather many topics so
you can find the one
with the most potential.
Allow one idea to lead
you to the next.

Writing
Process Steps
1. Collecting
Gather many topics so
you can find the one
with the most potential.
Allow one idea to lead
you to the next.
Research
Process Steps
1. Collecting
Instead of being assigned
a specific research topic,
brainstorm many. Begin
reading sources,
gathering a variety of
notes, even if you do not
in the end use them all.

1. Collecting
2. Rehearsing
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing
6. Publishing/Cel
ebration

spablab
Images licensed for use under Creative Commons
Short Studies +
Short Projects

Short Studies + Short Projects
• Research habits
students need
more time/practice
developing
• Think in steps of
the process or
particular habits

• Research habits
students need
more time/practice
developing
• Think in steps of
the process or
particular habits
• Engagement
• Think topics,
activities

1. Collecting
2. Rehearsing
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing
6. Publishing/Cel
ebration
Short Study

1. Collecting
2. Rehearsing
3. Drafting
4. Revising
5. Editing
6. Publishing/Cel
ebration
Short Study
Teaching-through-writing

Teaching-through-
writing

Teaching-through-
writing
1 day study in groups
of mentor articles and
how they teach-
through-writing.

Teaching-through-
writing
Using information from
class on Ancient Egypt,
flash draft and revise a
documentary script

Planning Across Content
Areas

Planning Across Contents
Oct/Nov Dec/Jan Feb/Mar
ELA Long: Student
Choice
SS Short: Am
Revolution
Sci Short: Cells

Planning Across Contents
Oct/Nov Dec/Jan Feb/Mar
ELA
Long: Student
Choice
• Whole process
SS
Short: Am
Revolution
• Note-taking for
learning
Sci
Short: Cells
• Domain-vocab
• Teaching-
through- writing

3. Assessment and
Feedback

Student artifacts
Our instruction

Assessment
Habits Qualities

Assessment
Habits Qualities
• Note-taking to Learn
• Audience
• Teaching-through-
writing
• Organizing to teach
• Expert vocabulary

Assessment
Habits Qualities
• Note-taking to Learn
• Audience
• Teaching-through-
writing
• Organizing to teach
• Expert vocabulary
(Standards help)
• Introduce
content/context
• Grouped information
• Variety in
elaboration
• Transitions

Units of Study Grade by Grade
Assessing Student Development

“Note-taking to Learn”

NOW INSTEAD
• ASSIGNING AND
HAND-OUTS
• COPYING TEXTS
PARAGRAPHS
• START WHERE
RESEARCH
ACTUALLY STARTS
• TAKE NOTES ON
LEARNING, NOT
BOOKS
• WRITE TO TEACH
(AND LEARN)

ChristopherLehman.com
Chris@ChristopherLehman.com
@iChrisLehman
“Fall In Love with Close Reading”
Heinemann 1-Day Workshop
Milwaukee area – December 6, 2013

Research Strategies for Reading Complex Texts

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