Scott Foresman Reading Street

NEW LITERACIES

Internet Inquiry Activity

EXPLORE NATURE

Use the following 5-day plan to help students conduct this week's Internet inquiry
activity on the beauty of nature. Remind students to follow classroom rules when
using the Internet.

Identify Questions Discuss the lesson focus question: What information and pleasure can be gained by observing nature? Brainstorm ideas for specific inquiry questions about nature. For example, students might want to find out what causes flashes of lightning or what makes the colors in a sunset. Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to write an inquiry question they want to answer.

Navigate/Search Have students begin a simple Internet search using a student-friendly search engine. Invite them to select keywords related to their inquiry questions. Discuss how a search engine will provide them with a list of Web sites about that keyword. Students can then read a brief description of the information they will find on each Web site. Have students identify several sites to analyze on Day 3.

Analyze Students will explore the Web sites they identified on Day 2. Tell them to explore each site for information that helps answer their inquiry questions. Students should analyze information for usefulness. They can print out and then highlight relevant information or take notes about it.

Synthesize Have students synthesize information from Day 3. Remind them that when they synthesize, they combine relevant ideas and information from different sources to develop answers to their inquiry questions.

Communicate Have students share their inquiry results. They can use a word processing program to write a poem about nature.

RESEARCH/STUDY SKILLS

Adjusting Reading Rates

TEACH

Ask students when they might read a selection slowly and when they might read quickly.
You may want to suggest examples, such as reading slowly while studying for a test.
Introduce these ideas about adjusting reading rate to accomplish a purpose.

If you need to remember many details about what you are reading, you should
read something slowly. Some tests involve reading a passage and then answering
questions. This would be a time to read slowly to try to remember as many details
as possible.
Social studies and science textbooks usually contain unfamiliar words and ideas.
Read slowly when you are learning about unknown topics.
Read quickly when you are looking for important words or ideas. If you are looking for
a source to research a topic, skim and scan to see if the source has the information
you need.

Have students work in small groups. Give each group a variety of reference books, such
as a science textbook, an encyclopedia, trade books, and so on. Tell groups to select a
topic to research. The topic must fit under the category plant or animal. Have them skim,
scan, and read the references to find information they need. Each group should write a
paragraph or two about the topic. After completing the project, lead a class discussion.

Describe a situation in which you read slowly for the research project.
(Responses will vary.)
Describe a situation that involved reading quickly or skimming the references.
(Responses will vary.)

morning glory n. a family of flowering plants.

Most morning glories are climbing plants. There are both wild species and garden species. Garden morning glories have
dark green leaves shaped like hearts.
The flowers are shaped like funnels
and are mixtures of blue, purple, red,
and white.

ASSESS

As groups are conducting their research, check that they know where in the references
to look for key information. Make sure they skim and scan to locate information and read
more slowly to find important details.

For more practice or to assess students, use Practice Book 3.1, p. 130.