Building Knowledge: Immune System

Next Steps for Building Knowledge (Deepening Understanding):

A Collection of Activities for Nonfiction Articles for Grades 5/6

Some of my students are quick to read text, but do not process the content in enough depth to be able to write effectively about it. They often produce pieces that lack effective elaboration. Given a small group of 4-8 students for whom building knowledge is a challenge, I would consider some of the following mini-lessons in a mini-unit. This sequence of lessons would perhaps take place over two weeks, but may need to be repeated. It is the intention of this sequence to help students realize that it is important to fully understand a text before you can write about it. The examples given here are based on the following article, but many of these activities could be applied to other nonfiction articles:

“ Tiny Invaders,” National Geographic Explorer, November-December, 2006

Focus Question: How Does Your Body Keep You Healthy?

1. Have the group read the article independently. Meet with the group and discuss the group’s understanding of the article. Ask the group members what part of the article they can explain to the group. Do they believe that they really understand the article and could write about it? Ask them to answer the focus question. Explain why we will be doing some activities to help deepen their thinking about the ideas in the article before they try to write a report that answers the focus question.

2. Discuss questions that are designed to activate thinking:

What causes sickness?

Once we are sick, why don’t we stay sick?

If Johnny gets sick, why doesn’t Joey or Susan?

What makes a sick person get healthy?

3. Develop understanding of the content vocabulary.

Sketch the content vocabulary

Build a game with the vocabulary: bingo, concentration, etc

Define a word. Have the group members identify the word.

Play “Is my definition true or fake?”

List some words. Have the kids find them in the text and define them in their own words: trigger, stowaway, swell, protect, germ-fighting, armor, invaders,

antibody, germ, virus

Write a dialogue of an interaction between various components of the immune system

Content Vocabulary:

skin immune system global warming bacteria

germs antibodies parasitic bugs: ticks and mosquitoes

virus vaccine oil gland dermis, epidermis sweat gland

4. Building Knowledge (*See attached graphic organizers)

Reread the article. Then fill out one or more graphic organizers or other instructional tools. Provide assistance if necessary. Help the group understand the importance of getting ideas onto paper so that there is room in their working memory for thinking about writing.

*Paraphrase the main idea(s) of each section

*Identify key ideas and supporting details

Pair share any of these activities

5. Focusing Understanding

Identify main ideas that relate to the focus which will become the points

Sketch the main ideas that relate to the focus

Pair share any of the above activities

main ideas: **critical ideas for body points

Germs travel.

Warm weather causes germs to spread.

**Viruses and bacteria sometimes get into your body and sometimes don’t.

**Immune system has antibodies that that destroy germs.

**Vaccines help your body make antibodies.

1. Formative assessment: Don’t move on until the group is ready.

Observe the group’s understanding of the vocabulary

Assess the graphic organizers and other instructional tools

Confer with individual group members to assess their understanding

Give the students a quiz to assess their understanding

7. Final projects

Have the group members use graphic aids to write a report.

Consider writing the report by jigsaw. Split up the work. Have members

make suggestions about each others work.

Interview the students about their understanding of the focus question