Investigative Report Writing: Explanations and Arguments - Grade 7
The notion of “reading like a detective” is based upon the following assumptions about people and texts:
- Human beings are symbol-using animals. We are always indicating, meaning otherwise or in addition to.
- Texts, including images, ads, film, and television, are things people make that other people can read. These texts have multiple “levels” and, therefore, can be read in multiple ways.
This grade seven unit of study revisits and extends the critical reading work introduced in the sixth grade unit Reading Nonfiction Like a Detective. Both are metaphor-driven units that explore how the habits and behaviors a detective employs to solve a crime—for example, asking questions, building (and re-building) theories based on evidence, doubting, mistrusting appearances—can also be usefully em- ployed by readers of texts to see “below the surface” meanings.
Table of Contents
Writing Tasks
Title: Tracking “The Landlady”
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 1
Place students in groups of twos or threes and give them time to fill out the tracking sheet. To get them started on this work, consider using a few entries from the focus lesson list to show them how to enter information on the tracking sheet.
Title: Comprehension Task Retelling “My Fast-Food Meal”
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 4
Students should use the work period to complete the comprehension task with their partner(s). If they need additional time to finish the work (homework or additional class time), postpone the closing meeting discussion until that work is done.
Use this time to confer with students about this work.
Title: Pollan’s Arguments A Discussion Task
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 5
- Tell students that they will have this session’s work period to complete the work outlined in the task.
Use this time to confer with students about their work. Be sure to encourage them to be as precise and detailed in their note taking as possible.
Title: Pollan’s Arguments A Discussion Task
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 6
Place students in groups of twos or threes. Review your class norms and expectations for group work and discussion.
Give students time to begin the methods task analysis.
Use this time to confer with groups about the methods task.
Title: Overview: The Investigative Report Writing Project
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 8
By now, students have worked hard to develop and refine a theory about what it means to read like a detective. Explain to the class that all of that work will now be brought to bear on an investigation of a popular advertising campaign.
Distribute copies of “Overview: The Investigative Report Writing Project” to students.
Take some time to review the project overview with the class.
Title: Part 1 Selecting and Gathering
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 8-9
Give the groups this session’s work period to complete the work on Part 1. Some options for ways students might spend this time include:
Using library or classroom computers (or phones, if permissible) to view and gather ads.
Perusing print ads from magazines or newspapers brought in by students or teacher.
Reviewing options for ads and choosing a final set of 4-6 ads.
Writing your proposal.
Use this time to confer with work groups about the task.
Title: Part 2 On the Surface Re-Presentations
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 10
Students should work, individually or in their small groups, on the task outlined in Part 2.
Use this time to confer with students about this work.
Title: Part 3: Below the Surface Readings
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 12 – 14
Suggested Student Materials: Interpretative/Argument Student Checklist
Title: Part 4: Reading the Ads as a Set
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 16 – 17
Title: Part 5: Making It Public
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 28
Display a copy of the assignment and review it with the class. Answer any questions students have about the task.
Give students time to begin work on this assignment.
Use this time to confer with students about this work.
Charts for Discussion
Title: Pollan’s Methods
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 7
Convene a whole-class discussion about Pollan’s methods. You might initiate the conversation by saying something like this: “Let’s take a look at what you all think about Pollan’s methods in ‘My Fast-Food Meal.’”
During this conversation, be sure to capture the class’ thinking on a “master” “Pollan’s Methods” chart. This conversation is a chance for the class to publicly identify and discuss overlaps across groups and to benefit from the thinking each group did. Students should add information to the notes they made on Pollan’s methods in their notebook.
Title: Ad Campaigns
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 9
After you have approved each student’s proposal, reconvene the class and ask each student to share which ad campaign she or he will be studying.
Create a list of the ad campaigns students will study along with the names of the students investigating each campaign. Point out to the class that this list lets them know who else in the room might be working on a particular ad campaign. Encourage students to share ads with other students who are investigating the same company or campaign.
Checks for Understanding
Title: Tracking “The Landlady”
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 1
Reconvene the whole class and facilitate a conversation in which groups share their tracking sheet information.
To organize this meeting, create a master tracking sheet on chart paper or another display. Call on groups to share information they recorded on their tracking sheets and push other members of the class to refine entries or address gaps. When appropriate, refer back to the qualities they listed for the genre of detective stories at the beginning of class and ask if they noticed any of these traits in the reading.
Encourage students to use the master tracking sheet entries to revise their individual tracking sheet information.
Title: When We Read Like a Detective, We. . .
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 2
Reserve 20-25 minutes for the closing meeting.
Begin by asking students to take 3-4 minutes to individually quick write their response to the question “What does it mean to read like a detective?” Essentially, you are asking them to take the list of ideas they generated during class and synthesize them into a short response: “I think that to read like a detective means…”
Work with the class to craft a whole-class theory of what it might mean to read like a detective. To do this, reconvene the class and call on volunteers from each group to share either their quick write or two or three items from the list they generated with their group.
Capture these items on a chart titled “When We Read like a Detective, We . . .” Be sure to push students for clarification as needed and insist that they reference specific moments in the novel. Take care to jot page or line numbers down next to each entry.
Title: Important or Confusing Moments in “My Fast-Food Meal”
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 3
After the reading, reconvene the class and take 2-3 minutes to create a chart that captures the questions students have and the important or confusing moments that they found.
To do this, you might create a two-column chart, titling one column “Important Moments” and the other “Questions/Confusion.” Resist the temptation to discuss the text at this point. This is simply a rapid-fire share out where students say what they think is important or what they have questions about. It is very important that you identify the line or page for each entry on the chart as it will function as an index of sorts during the work ahead.
Title: Retelling “My Fast-Food Meal”
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Session 4
Reconvene the class and call on a few students to read their retellings aloud. Use these examples as the basis for creating a whole-class version of a retelling. Use chart paper or another display to capture this. (You will need this retelling again in Session 6.)
The class retelling work gives students a chance to report out on their “surface” readings and allows the whole group to help fill in any gaps that might appear in the individual retellings the students created. You may also use this opportunity to draw attention to certain features of Pollan’s writing using the questions in the teacher manual.
Encourage students to revise or add to their own retellings during this discussion. Their retellings should reflect their best understanding of the text. If you are collecting responses for scoring or feedback, ask students to turn them in at this time.
Independent Reading
Title: Reading Log
Teacher Manual Instructions:
Independent Reading
As you transition to independent reading, discuss how students can keep a reading log. Show students how you would like them to set up and use their reading log to record their independent reading this year. An example of one way a reading log could be set up is provided nearby. You may choose to have students create a table in their notebooks, use a pre-made sheet, or a digital format.
Explain to students that they should make an entry in their log only after they have finished a book. You will need to negotiate with students how to handle the entry of magazine readings (for example, entire issues versus individual articles).
After students have set up the log, including proper headings, creating the grid, etc., show students how to make an entry.
Answer any questions students have about the reading log.
Begin independent reading.
Consider conducting individual reading conferences with students as they are engaged in independent reading. In No More Independent Reading Without Support, Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss (2013) suggest that during early conferences, you should listen to students and work to build trust: Ask students how they view reading and how they think of themselves as readers; ask what they are interested in. Over time you can ask more about what they are reading and about how you can help them or what they are struggling with. Use what you learn from these conversations to guide additional instruction with groups or with the class.
Title: Independent Reading – Individual Planning Sheet
Instructions:
Title: End of Marking Period Self-Assessment
Instructions:
Unit Resources
Title: A List of Detective Moves in “The Landlady”
Title: Comprehension Task: Retelling “My Fast-Food Meal”
Title: Pollan’s Methods: Questions and Examples
Title: Overview: The Investigative Report Writing Project
Title: Part 4: Argument Reading the Ads as a Set
Title: Scaffolds and Modifications: Descriptions and Use