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ORC Resource Number #11362
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History Comes Alive: Improve Fluency and Comprehension Using Social Studies
PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY

This cross-curricular lesson combines Social Studies and Language Arts to demonstrate how the study of an historical topic can be developed to make learning nonfiction more exciting, and also improve fluency and comprehension. This project about Benjamin Franklin includes a series of lessons in which the students: 1) read for information from multiple texts, 2) write a script for a Readers Theater play, 3) read for expression and fluency by using their script, 4) enhance their reading with visual arts, and 5) demonstrate dramatic interpretation through role-play. This approach engages students throughout in active participation and collaboration. The lesson could also be adapted to a variety of other subjects. Included are many supporting resources, such as a read-aloud rubric, an audition sheet, and ideas for student assessment and reflection. (author/jlkrause)

OHIO STANDARDS
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English Language Arts Standards
Phonemic Awareness, Word Recognition and Fluency Standard
Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text Standard
Writing Process Standard
Writing Applications Standard
Communications: Oral and Visual Standard
NATIONAL STANDARDS
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Standards for the English Language Arts
Range of materials and purposes for reading
Reading strategies, language use, and conventions
Write, speak, and visually represent to create text
Research and inquiry
Purposes for using spoken, written, and visual language
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Grades 2–5
TOPICS
English Language Arts --
Literature;
American Literature;
Children's Literature;
Nonfiction;
Reading;
Comprehension;
Fluency;
Literary Response;
Strategies - Informational Texts;
Reading-Strategies & Skills;
Writing;
Grammar & Conventions;
Writing Applications;
Writing Process;
Writing Strategies;
KEYWORDS
writing fluency;
oral reading fluency;
comprehension strategies;
Readers Theater;
reading fluency;
prosody
Publisher: IRA/NCTE
Author: Veronica Montes