Minds On
What’s it about?
In this lesson, we are learning about comprehension strategies and identifying main ideas. The following title and cover image are from a video you will explore.
What do you think this video will be about, based on the information given here? Record your thoughts orally, digitally, in print, or in a method of your choice.
The title is “TVOK Headlines of the Week for March 13th.” Daniel is speaking to the audience. There is an image of two youth breakdancing on their street with people sitting on a porch, watching them.
Now that you have recorded your thoughts, it’s time to explore the video! As you explore the video, take note of the strategies you are using to learn the information shared by Daniel.
After the video, record your thoughts and questions about what you have learned.
If possible, discuss your reflections with a partner. Did you both have similar strategies while listening?
Action
Task 1: The main idea
One way you can demonstrate your understanding of an oral text is by identifying the main ideas. This will help you understand and record the most important points.
You can think of the main idea as what the text is mostly about. The rest of the text supports that main idea.
As you are exploring, try to determine the main idea of the following video and describe the strategies you used to figure this out.
Record the main idea, and the supporting details, in a method of your choice.
Task 2: Comprehension strategies
To help make sense of an oral text, we often engage in comprehension strategies before, during, and after engaging with text.
Explore the following printable document Comprehension Strategies and note the prompts and questions listed under each strategy.
Do any of these prompts and questions relate to the strategies that you have recorded?
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Before |
During |
After |
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Ask Questions: What do I already know about this? What do I need to know? |
Ask Questions: Does this make sense? How does this connect to what I already know? I still need answers to... |
Ask Questions What does the video mean by... What have I learned? I wonder if... |
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Understand the text: Pause to think about the text Discuss what you have read/listened to |
Find Main Ideas: The most important thing to reflect on is … The main message is … Clues that helped me understand were |
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Make inferences: The evidence that supports my thinking is... I can now conclude... I think... because.... |
Thinking About the Text: The message is The purpose is ... The text doesn’t deal with... |
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Use our imagination: I pictured how something in the text might have appeared I used my imagination and... |
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Make Connections: This reminds me of... This compares to... This is different than... |
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Take Notes: Identify the main ideas Limit the number of words Organize the information collected into headings Review, add, and revise |
Pick one strategy from each column (before, during, after) and identify how you used the strategy to help you understand one of these two video options.
The first video is a short interview with a farmer who moved their crops in doors due to the changes in weather patterns. The second video is about a city in Netherlands and their creative solution for recycled plastics in the city.
If you wish, you may use the questions or sentence starters to assist you. Record your strategies in a method of your choice.
If someone were to ask you what the main idea of your video was, how would you respond? What evidence would you use to help support your ideas? Record the main idea in an audio recording, on paper, or digitally.
If you can, find someone else who explored the same video as you. Share your ideas of main idea and your evidence with each other. Did you both have the same main idea? Was your evidence similar?
If you do not have a partner, try exploring the second video and choose different strategies to explore. Did this strategy change how you explored the second video?
Consolidation
What have we learned?
Let’s reflect on what we explored in this learning activity.
In an audio, written, or digital journal, reflect on at least two of the following questions about comprehension strategies and finding the main idea in oral text.
- Which comprehension strategy was new to you? Will you continue to use it? Why or why not?
- Which comprehension strategy from the “before” column was one that you already did before? Which question or prompt was most similar to your strategy?
- Which comprehension strategy from the “after” column was one that you didn’t realize that you already did? What gave you this realization?
- How does knowing the main idea of a text help you in your understanding of a text? Why?
- Do you think that the evidence you use to support your main idea is similar each time you explore a new video? Why or why not?
Reflection
As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.
I feel...
Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.