The Missouri Reader Vol. 35, Issue 2 | Page 28

a  farm.    The  book  shows  the  farmer  building  a  fence  for  his  animals.  Students,  with  the  teacher,  identify  the   different   lines   and   angles,   and   the   relations   between   them   from   the   pictures.   As   the   teacher   and   students   delve  deeper  into  this  concept,  the  children’s  book  could  be  referred  to  again.       This  math  concept  can  be  made  more  accessible  by  using  cooking  as  an  analogy:  The  real  numbers  and   their  two  operations  of  addition  and  multiplication  are  governed  by  properties.  Students  could  create  a  chart   to  compare  the  properties  of  the  real  number  system  with  cooking.  The  students  will  be  able  to  relate  to  basic   ideas  in  cooking  that  are  analogous  to  the  properties  of  the  real  number  system.  For  example,  adding  eggs  and   then   flour   will   be   the   same   as   adding   flour   and   then   the   eggs   –   the   commutative   property   of   addition   or   multiplication.   Mixing   flour   with   the   eggs,   and   then   adding   milk,   will   be   the   same   adding   flour   to   a   mixture   of   eggs  and  milk  –  the  associative  property  of  addition  or  multiplication.     English/Language  Arts  Examples     Any   poetry   unit,   regardless   of   the   specific   concept   to   be   taught   about   poetry,   can   begin   with   an   analogy  to  the  songs  students  are  currently  listening  to.  An  effective  way  to  begin  a  unit  is  to  ask  students  to   bring  in  samples  of  songs  (with  clear  parameters  of  the  types  of  song  lyrics  that  may  not  be  used).  Lyrics  for   these   songs   are   usually   available   on   the   internet,   which   teachers   can   copy   and   paste   onto   a   powerpoint   or   overhead  slide.       Another   way   to   use   an   analogy   is   for   a   unit   about   tragedy   with   a   guiding   concept   such   as,   Tragedy   involves  the  descent  of  a  great  man  to  defeat  or  death.  The  analogy  would  be  presented  first  and  come  from  a   current   news   article   that   describes   something   tragic,   such   as   an   earthquake   that   devastated   a   town   or   a   local   event   such   as   a   gang   shooting   or   deadly   car   accident.   The   teacher   could   bring   1-­‐3   examples   as   models   and   then  have  students  find  others.  Next,  the  teacher  would  connect  their  developing  understanding  of  tragedy  to   the  reading  assignment.       Questioning   the   author   can   contribute   to   students’   understandings   of   bias:   Many   forms   of   writing   contain   biases   by   authors   that   should   be   recognized   and   questioned.   For   example,   students   could   read   something   current   from   a   magazine   such   as   Rolling   Stone,   blogs,   and   newspapers.   They   could   analyze   the   authors’   arguments   and   any   possible   biases   they   might   have.   The   teacher   would   create   a   worksheet   containing   initiating   queries,   such   as   “What   is   the   author   trying   to   say?”   and   “What   bias   does   the   author   show?”  and  follow-­‐up  queries,  such  as  “Does  the  author  explain  his  or  her  argument  clearly?”  and  “What  is   the  author’s  reasoning?”     Biology  Examples     Biology   textbooks   are   very   difficult   for   struggling/striving   readers.   In   a   unit   focusing   on   the   concept,   Living   things   either   adapt   to   change   or   become   extinct,   the   teacher   could   create   a   discussion   web   that   encourages   students   to   use   their   prior   knowledge   and   gives   them   specific   purposes   for   their   readings.   The   central  statement  on  this  discussion  web  might  be,  “Since  extinction  is  a  natural  process,  people  do  not  have   much  impact  on  the  extinction  of  plants  or  animals.”  In  addition  to  focusing  on  the  content  area  concepts,  this   particular   question   also   encourages   students   to   consider   their   responsibility   as   citizens   to   the   future   of   our   planet.   28