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Dr. Judith M. Newman


SELF AS INFORMANT - 4
Exposition

ACTIVITY 1 — UNFAMILIAR VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT

The following piece is adapted from a science magazine. Unfortunately, I no longer have the title, the author's name or the magazine name! But the piece illustrates how we make sense of unfamiliar words and concepts in the course of reading.

As you read the piece, in the margin try filling in two or more substitutions for each underlined word. Do this as quickly as you can. It's all right if you can't think of two or more substitutions. The point here is to stay focused on the meaning.

Next, fill in the accompanying chart (after the passage). What language cues were you using to guide your substitutions? Were there any items you didn't know beforehand? What strategies did you use to make sense of them?

What questions did this activity raise for you as a reader, a teacher?

Activity 2: Heavy Conceptual Load