Chapter 12: Reading and Writing in the Content Areas
I: Overview
Students explore their special interests, develop research skills, and demonstrate their strengths
when they read and write in the content areas. They learn to use the special features of content-
area textbooks as well as a wide variety of trade books, newspapers, magazines, and Internet
resources to answer their questions.
Chapter 12 Objectives
After reading this chapter, students should be able to:
1 Explain the ways in which effective teachers connect reading and writing during literacy
instruction.
Chapter 12 Outline
Vignette: Third Graders Create Multigenre Projects
Introduction
CONNECTING READING AND WRITING
• Reading Trade Books
CONTENT-AREA TEXTBOOKS
• Features of Content-Area Textbooks
THEMATIC UNITS
• How to Develop a Thematic Unit
II. Teaching Suggestions
Preview Questions
Chapter 12 discusses the ways in which effective teachers use content-area textbooks, trade
books, and other reading materials to help their students explore new topics. Before you begin
the chapter with your college students, ask them to reflect upon the ways in which they learned
content-area material when they were in elementary school and to consider the following
questions:
1 Did teachers ask you to read content-area textbooks silently or orally during instructional
Focus Questions
Pre-service teachers should consider the questions which follow as they read chapter 12.
1 When you become a teacher, what advice would you give an elementary student when he
begins to read a chapter in a content-area textbook?
Class Activity
Bring a selection of elementary content-area textbooks to the college classroom. Ask your
students to form groups to examine a textbook and complete the following tasks:
• Using your knowledge of factors that influence readability, suggest an appropriate grade
After Class Activities
1. Ask your students to select a topic for a thematic unit and to compile a text set of materials to
support instruction on that topic.
to use the steps listed in Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach.
III. Resources
Related Readings
Encourage students to explore the topics presented in chapter 12 in more depth by reading the
following professional literature.
Hoffner, H. (2003). A look at realistic fiction. Westminster, CA: Teacher Created Materials.
Online Resources
National Science Education Standards
Teachers can visit the website of the National Science Teachers Association to find educational
National Council for the Social Studies
The website of the National Council for the Social Studies provides curriculum standards for
PBS Teacher Source
The PBS Teacher Source website offers lesson plans and background information related to
CNN Student News
The CNN Student News website provides news summaries and articles related to education.
Solving the Math Curse: Reading and Writing Math Word Problems
Viking Voyagers: Navigating Online Content Area Reading
This lesson plan, published on the Read Write Think website, helps students use content-area