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Comprehension Strategy
Comprehension Strategy Demonstration
Gracie Frame
Department of Education, Liberty University
EDUC 318: Teaching Reading to Diverse Learners
Professor LaShera McElhany
August 7, 2023
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Comprehension Strategy
Comprehension Strategy Demonstration
For this assignment I chose to use graphic organizers as a comprehension strategy for
informational text in science. “Teachers can use graphic organizers as a tool to help students
visualize the interconnection between words to support to support their meaning” (Vacca, 2018,
pg.227). Mind maps, Venn diagrams, flowcharts and KWL charts are just a few examples of
graphic organizers.
Graphic organizers are helpful because they help organize and visualize information in an
easy-to-understand way. They can also help with critical thinking, note-taking, and problem
solving. Using graphic organizers for comprehension in science text can help students understand
complex concepts, identify the main idea, supporting details, and the key vocabulary in a science
text.
According to the Virginia State Science Standard 3.2, “The student will investigate and
understand that aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems support a diversity of organisms. A key idea
includes relationships exist among organisms in an ecosystem.” This standard spans from the K-
8 curriculum, so it is applicable to many other ages and grades. The students will need to use
grade-appropriate graphic organizers as a comprehension strategy for comparing and contrasting
the characteristics of the relationship between organisms and the ecosystems. By using this
strategy, students will be able to understand the similarities and differences of organisms and
their relationship with thr ecosystems throughout the world. This strategy will encourage
retention of the content being taught and learned.
Since there are a variety of styles for these learning tools, it is important that I chose the
correct style so my students can benefit the most. According to an article from the Department of
Education, “The results of most studies have voiced the positive effects of graphic organizers in
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Comprehension Strategy
mainly reading and writing, in addition to remembering course content”(Kilickaya, pg.8). One
great thing about graphic organizers is they can be easily modified. For this age and assignment,
I will choose to use a Venn diagram. “Venn diagrams are used to provide an intuitive
understanding of multiple regression analysis and these diagrams work well with two variables”
(O’brien, pg.1).
Venn Diagrams can be used throughout all grades and ages. They can be used in primary
grades to compare and contrast things like a dog and cat. The Venn diagram can be used in the
Elementary grades to compare and contrast more complex topics such as the relationships
between different animals or seasons of the year. Middle school students can use Venn diagrams
to compare and contrast topics such as different types of government or literary genres. For
example, students can use the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the similarities and
differences between a monarchy and democracy.
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Comprehension Strategy
References:
Kilickaya, F. (n.d.). Eric - Education Resources Information Center.
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED556901.pdf
O’brein, R. M. (n.d.). A consistent and general modified Venn diagram approach that provides
insights into regression analysis. PloS one. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29771948/
Vacca, J.A. L., Vacca, R. T., Gove, M. K., Burkey, L. C., Lenhart, L. A., & McK, C. A. (2018).
Reading & Learning to Read (10th ed.). Pearson Education (US).
https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/books/9780134447797
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Comprehension Strategy
Appendix
Supplementary Materials
Link to video: https://youtu.be/-3jZhJbW-5s
Primary Informational Science Text: Who Lives in the Arctic? By Susan Canizares
Questions:
- Literal: How do these animals survive in such cold environments?
- Inferential: What can we infer about the relationship between animals and their
environment in the Arctic based on the characteristics of the animals discussed in the
book?
- Evaluative: What are some of the challenges that animals in the Artic face due to the
climate change?
- Handout:
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Comprehension Strategy
*Students will be given a set of characteristics of animals
they learned about in the Arctic and will contrast them with animals in other ecosystems.
Elementary Informational Science Text: Ecology: The Study of Ecosystems by Susan H. Gray
Questions:
-Literal: What is the definition of an ecosystem?
-Inferential: What can we learn about the impact of human activities on the
environment based on examples of habitat destruction discussed in the book?
-What is your opinion on the efforts to protect the biodiversity of ecosystems?
Handout:
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Comprehension Strategy
Middle Informational Science Text: How Does the Changing of an Ecosystem Affect What Lives
There Ebook by Kendal Hunt.
Questions:
-Literal: What are some specific examples of how changes in the physical
environment of an ecosystem can affect the populations of different species that live
there?
-Inferential: What long term impacts do deforestation have on the biodiversity of an
ecosystem?
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Comprehension Strategy
-Evaluative: In your opinion, does the book effectively communicate the importance
of preserving the biodiversity of ecosystems.
Handout:
