Sybil Priebe, North Dakota State College of Science 30 Reading Activities TYCA-Midwest 2011 sybil.priebe@ndscs.edu my links: www.delicious.

com/scrible77 my blog: www.xanga.com/teacher47

Part 1: Reading Activities. Part 2: Samples. Part 3: Brainstorming Your Own Reading Activities.

READING ACTIVITY: F/P Image Creation

Idea: This activity visualizes the reading. Students will find an image that connects to the quote/statement they find most interesting. Using the Creative Commons area of Flickr, they save the image and add text (or a quote) by using Pixlr.com. From there, they could upload the image to a LMS or Insert it into a document to be handed in. Theres a sample of this on the cover of the handout.

READING ACTIVITY: Facebook Status(es)

Idea: Students will create a Facebook status of the topic or person in the reading. Perhaps there will be comments to that status by other people in the reading. {http://www.myfakewall.com} See example at the end of this handout for ideas.

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Flickr.com Pixlr.com

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Self-Exam & T/F

Idea: The instructor will create a small self-exam for the students to take prereading. This will prepare students for the reading as well as see where they stand before they read. True/False questions are best, but the self-exam could include short-answer. {I think this idea was stolen from a previous TYCA conference session?} A sample of this is at the end of the handout.

READING ACTIVITY: Passport!

Idea: No matter the pre-reading or reading activity, the students must come to the next class prepared. This means whatever they needed to answer or create needs to be given to the teacher to cross over into the classroom. They will need a Passport to enter the Country of Further Learning. Without a passport, they cant participate. {Got from an FYE conferences.}

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Handout Pen/Pencil

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Handout Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Tweet from Your Seat

Idea: Bring the crazy brevity of Twitter into the classroom by having students, in 140 characters or less, sum up what they read. This activity would be conducted after theyve read or, maybe, while they are reading (?).A sample of this is shown at the end of the handout. {Stolen from Laura Grabrion at a previous TYCA conference.}

READING ACTIVITY: Text Type-Up

Idea: Some students learn through repetition, and some also dont like to mark up their textbooks. So, this activity asks students to type (or write) up a piece of the reading theyd like to respond to. After typing or writing up the piece, they can then circle things they dont get or really find interesting. Instructors should specify word count and amount of questions to circle, etc. {An idea from an adjunct at our college.}

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Handout Pen/Pencil

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Animoto Video Trailer

Idea: Just like how movies have previews, maybe discussions should too? This activity asks students to create a trailer or preview of the upcoming discussion by reading and then putting related images and text into Animoto.com. Their 30-second videos are free and easy to use. From there, they could upload the URL to a LMS to be viewed in class.

READING ACTIVITY: Prezi/PPT

Idea: In order for the students to prep for the upcoming discussion of the reading, have them create parts of the possible discussion by putting together a piece such as a PowerPoint slide (or slides) or Prezi presentation. They could upload those Prezis/PPTs to a specific area in the LMS in order for the instructor to pop them up on the big screen in class.

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Flickr.com/ Animoto.com

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Prezi.com or PPT

READING ACTIVITY: Visual Definition

Idea: Students naturally increase their vocabulary by reading, so this activity asks them to pick a specific amount of words to create visual definitions of. Each slide = new word made visual with images, stories, quotes from the reading, definitions, etc. An example of this is shown at the end of the handout.

READING ACTIVITY: Create a Quiz

Idea: In order to create a quality quiz, you need to know the material. {A Spanish teacher I met has students who miss his tests create the test, and they rarely miss now because putting together a Spanish test is harder than just taking one!} This could be done in many different courses. The instructor could ask for a few levels of difficulty as well.

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MS PPT Flickr Images

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MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Speed Dating

Idea: This activity needs to be completed in a computer lab. Essentially, on each computer screen, a question would be displayed. Each student would type in their response. Each student would be asked to respond differently than the student before him/her. This activity would be timed as well using http://www.online-stopwatch.com/.

READING ACTIVITY: Welcome to the Buffet

Idea: Students could get a few different options as to what to do while reading. Maybe they can create: a) a Timeline, b) a Chart, or c) Tweet from their Seat. See the example at the end of this handout for ideas.

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Comp Lab MS Word

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Web Access MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: How To Guide

Idea: After students have read, ask them to become an expert on something in the reading material. From there, they would create a step-by-step guide on the topic. If they read something about Buddhism, perhaps they would have to write a guide on how to be a good follower of Buddhism, for example.

READING ACTIVITY: (Fake) Interview

Idea: Students could either be required to interview someone about what theyve read or they could create a document which shows a fake interview with the author about the piece. An extended example of this can be found at the end of the handout.

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Survey the Masses

Idea: After students read, they would conduct a survey of those around them (f2f or email or Facebook) about the topic(s) covered in the piece. They would report their findings at the next class time.

READING ACTIVITY: Reconstruction!

Idea: After reading, have the students reconstruct parts of the text into chunks. Calling them stanzas may scare them, but basically thats what they are. Slices of the text, fragments, put into poetic bite size bits.

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Dear Some Dude/Advice

Idea: Have the students write a letter to the author of the piece. OR mimic a Dear Abby column that is related to the piece read.

READING ACTIVITY: Scavenger Hunt

Idea: If the instructor wants students to find certain ideas or topics in the piece, ask them to do so before they read. Have them keep a list of quotes, perhaps, that give details of the topic, etc.

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

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Pen/Pencil

READING ACTIVITY: Jeopardy

Idea: While reading, have students create Jeopardy questions or maybe a whole game with points assigned (200 level questions versus 400 level questions). What would be the question that players would bet $$$ on? These could be placed on the board in class & used for discussion? A student sample may be shown in the presentation.

READING ACTIVITY: Do you know your ABCs?

Idea: Students will create a table in MS Word and place all 26 letters down the far left column. From there, they have to find things in the reading that pertain to each letter. For instance, while reading about Buddhism, they would talk about the Afterlife in the corresponding A row. A sample of this is found at the end of the handout.

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

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Pen/Pencil MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Reality Show Vote-Off

Idea: This activity asks students to take the reading and create a Reality Show out of it. They will, then, present the idea to the class. The class acts as entertainment producers Whos show will get voted off? Which show will air?

READING ACTIVITY: Mad Libs

Idea: Students will create a mad lib, or a few, (tell them to Google that term if theyve never used a Mad Lib before) based on the reading. Then, in class, the students could get into small groups and take/complete each others mad lib(s). A student sample of this may be shown in the presentation.

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Email/Discussion Board

Idea: If instructors really want to know what students are thinking (or what problems they are having) when it comes to the reading, they could be required to read and email the instructor before class time. This way, the instructor can print off the problems and questions and use them in class. Same goes for discussion boards.

READING ACTIVITY: Vanna White on Steriods

Idea: While students are reading, they will take out quotes/statements they like. In class, they will get into groups and present 1-2 statements on the board, using the Wheel of Fortune as their format. The group who wins the most could get a treat or bonus points. This takes up more class time than Diet Vanna.

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Email/LMS

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

READING ACTIVITY: Diet Vanna White

Idea: While students are reading, they will take out quotes/statements they like. Before class, theyll turn those statements into the Wheel of Fortune format and then in groups exchange statements with one another. This could lead into a larger group discussion.

READING ACTIVITY: Mini-Book Report

Idea: While students are reading, instructors could have them seek out a topic they want to learn more about. From there, they should head to the library and research a book on that topic. Then, in class, orally or on paper, they would talk about what the book contained. This could be a good activity for while you are gone/away at a conference?

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word and Library

READING ACTIVITY: Factoid/Something Cool

Idea: Ask the students to search the text for someone or something. From there, they should find something cool or some factoid about that topic. Ex: If they are reading about World War II, they could look online for something interesting to them about the fashions of the time or what people drove (if they are into fashion/cars, for example).

READING ACTIVITY: Artistic Summary/Pictionary

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Google or Bing or the Library

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word

Idea: This activity would ask students to draw out what happened in the reading. It could lead into a game of Pictionary lead by the students in class as well?

READING ACTIVITY: Multi-Genre

Idea: This activity asks students to find multiple genres that connect to the topic(s)/theme(s) in the reading. Ex: Finding a cartoon, a non-Wikipedia article, and a chart based on Buddhism/WWII/STDs, etc.

READING ACTIVITY: The Comic Strip

Idea: Using www.makebeliefscomix.com (or paper & pen/MS Word?) have students create a comic strip based on a theme or some dialogue that occurs in the reading. This could add a bit of humor to any subject.

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MS Word and Web access

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Pen/Pencil or MS Word or Web access

Samples of Reading Activities: #2: Facebook Status Samples.

http://coolmaterial.com/roundup/if-historical-events-had-facebook-statuses/

#3: Self-Exam Samples.

#5: Tweet from Your Seat Sample.

#9: Visual Definition Sample.

#12: Welcome to the Buffet Sample.

Unit X Readings:
Pick 2 of the 4 to complete! Essay Read For Today: What To Do With It For the Next Class Time: Create a Timeline Create a *Table w/2 columns; one for informal writing & one for formal writing Other Instructions: Use dates from essay Take pieces from the essay and place them into the correct columns; add other descriptions and words if youd like Please use the non-period punctuation marks correctly. You may have to get creative w/the essay! The easiest way to complete this would be to place 140 dashes in a document for each punctuation mark.

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So, Heres Whats Happening To Language I Think; Therefore, IM

Period Styles: A Punctuated History Notes On Punctuation

Write a small essay (100 words) without using periods, but use other sorts of punctuation like commas and semi-colons, etc. Tweet From Your Seat Using the Twitter format of 140 characters or less, summarize each piece of punctuation listed in this essay (this list is similar to The New, Well-Tempered Sentence).

*Similar to the one shown here, perhaps.

#14: (Fake) Interview Sample.

#20: Do You Know Your ABCs? Sample.

Brainstorming Your Own Reading Activities:

*What an instructor could do with this handout is take it to class, adding their own notes throughout, and when it comes to the end of the class period, they could pick an activity from this sheet. If you wanted to add a dash of students choice (or democracy), you could ask the students to pick a number; that would be the activity to complete for next time.