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POSTGRADUATE UNIT
POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN EDUCATION
PROGRAMME
(In-Service)
YEAR: 2014/2015
Curriculum Study
TOPIC:
HASSAN BASARALLY
806007430
PAGE
Abstract...............................................................................................................2
Introduction.........................................................................................................3
Literature Review................................................................................................8
Methodology.....................................................................................................13
Findings............................................................................................................24
Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations...........................................36
Works Cited .....................................................................................................40
Appendices ......................................................................................................42
Getting to the point: Using GIST and Magnet Summary in teaching summary
writing at the CSEC level
Hassan Basarally
University of the West Indies, St. Augustine
School of Education
EDLA 5240: Teaching of English
Abstract
Students at the CSEC level in the researchers school have had difficulty in
summary writing, particularly in identifying the main idea, and combining it with
supporting details. Two alternative teaching strategies to the existing practice
were implemented: Generating Interaction between Schemata and Text (GIST)
and Magnet Summary. Through these strategies, the researcher aims to provide
students with more effective methods of identifying the main ideas and
supporting details. The effectiveness of the strategies will also develop student
self-efficacy in the topic, making the task less daunting and encouraging more
students to attempt it. The success of the strategies will provide the researcher
a proven effective best practice to implement in the future. A mixed method
approach was used, utilising qualitative and quantitative data. A Pre-test and
Post-test, and questionnaire with open ended and fixed responses was
administered at the end of instruction in both strategies. A student journal at
the end of the intervention was also collected. A self-efficacy test was also
administered before and after the intervention. The data showed an
improvement in performance in both GIST and Magnet Summary and an
improvement in student self-efficacy regarding skills in summary writing.
Key words: GIST, Magnet Summary, Summary Writing, Self-efficacy
Chapter 1
Introduction
Background
The target school is a former Junior Secondary School in the Caroni
Education District of Trinidad that was deshifted with its highest level being
Form Five. The school is struggling to rid itself of the stigma of a low performing
academic institution. It was a pilot school for the Same Sex Schools Programme,
receiving an all-girls cohort which resulted it its perception being improved; as
the female students generally scored higher in the Secondary Entrance
Assessment (SEA) and are believed to be more disciplined. When the
programme was discontinued, a mixed intake was sent, however, many
students in these batches were classified as remedial students by the Ministry
of Education.
Generally, English language and literature is perceived as difficult subjects
by the students. Other departments have yet to engage in the practice of
English across the Curriculum. The pass rate in the Caribbean Secondary
Education Certificate (CSEC) English A examination in 2014 is 31%, up from
15% in 2013. The school runs on a six day timetable of forty two periods, six
periods are allocated to English per cycle. The CSEC level classes are streamed
writing is taught at the school is through a formal process called the Rule-Based
Strategy in which students are to follow a set rules or step to identify the
important information in a passage and then produce a summary (Marzano
et.al., 2001).
It appears that the students are not grasping the skills of summary writing
through the use of the Rule-based Strategy. Current research offer many new
strategies to teaching the topic. The two methods to be tested will be
Generating Interaction between Schemata and Text (GIST) and Magnet
Summary. GIST makes students divide the text into manageable sections and
interrogate it through the use of the questions: Who, What, When, Why, and
How (Fey et. al., 2003). Magnet Summary, on the other hand, involves students
condensing reading to key words and phrases which are then combined to
produce sentences to be incorporated into a summary (Urquhart and McIver,
2005). The skill of summary writing is not limited to the English classroom. It is
a tool for developing comprehension across the curriculum. Summary writing
encourages the readers active involvement with the text (Zygouris-Coe et. al.
2005). This involvement includes, asking questions and drawing inferences from
the text, a skill which allows easy understanding of content areas in the
curriculum and texts read for information and pleasure.
Problem Statement
Students currently have difficulty applying the Rule Based Strategy to
produce summaries. The students are unable to accurately identify all the main
ideas in a passage and synthesise the information to produce a coherent
summary. Though the strategy has been used for a long period of time, in
textbooks and in the school, there are alternative methods of teaching summary
writing based on sound academic research. As an intervention, two alternative
methods will be used to determine the effectiveness on the different strategies.
Purpose Statement
This study will evaluate the effectiveness of GIST and Magnet Summary as
alternative methods of direct instruction to the Rule-based Strategy. In addition,
it will determine the effect of these new techniques on student self-efficacy
regarding summary writing.
Research questions
1. Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary aid students in accurately
identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a passage, and
combining them to produce a summary?
2. Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary improve student self-efficacy at
summary writing?
Significance of Study
The study will allow the researcher to meet a critical need of the students.
It will allow the evaluation of current practices in teaching summary writing and
test new strategies in instruction with the aim of arriving at the best approach
for the particular sample. Hence, the researcher finds a best practice to use in
the classroom. The researcher, in addition to colleagues at the institution, has
observed students struggling with summary writing across the CSEC level. If the
intervention is successful, the task will become easier; student scores will
Chapter 2
Literature Review
Summary writing is a skill that embodies the concept of English across the
Curriculum, as it is a tool in comprehension as well as a writing skill. This
section will look at the cognitive skills involved in summary writing, the
difficulties students face in the task, academic literature on GIST and Magnet
Summary, and the link between student self-efficacy and performance in
writing. Students who become skilled at summary writing are able to
comprehend, interact and manipulate expository texts across the curriculum
(Casazza, 1993). Any discourse into the topic must take into consideration the
following areas: the cognitive skills that are required by summary writing, the
problems that students meet in the task, how the topic has been traditionally
taught, and new strategies that could be employed.
Summary writing produces certain linguistic and cognitive challenges, as
there exists the microstructure that represents the relationships in the sentence
of the text, and macrostructure which represents the relationship between
blocks of sentences or paragraphs, and the organisation of the text (Hutchins,
1987). Semantic cohesion is the major part of the microstructure that students
are required to understand. These are the semantic links between sentences or
clauses that provide cohesion achieved mainly through subordinators,
conjunctions and lexical items that denote compatibility, contrast, consequence,
cause etc. At the macrostructure, students are expected to understand the
schemata of the text. The schema is the sequence of episodes or points in the
text, or simply the plot or script, readers infer the schemata through the initial
sentences of the text. On analysis of the relationships within the text, Hutchins
(1987) derived four components of summarisation: comprehension of
microstructure, identification of schemata, generalising and condensing of the
macrostructure, and expressing it in a coherent text.
More recently Marzano et al. have described three aspects of effective
summary writing: deleting, substituting and keeping information, analysis of the
text at a deep level, and awareness of the structure of the text (2001). Other
researchers have highlighted that effective summarisation involves recall and
planning. Brown et al. describe summary writing as not just a measure or
automatic retention, the ability to work recursively on the information to render
it as succinctly as possible requires judgement and effort, knowledge and
strategies (1983, p. 25). The research found that the younger students copied
verbatim, while older students restated information. Though the findings were
derived from comparing different age groups as opposed to different abilities on
the same level, it can be assumed that the strategies displayed by the older
students could be found in the components of summarisation observed by
Hutchins (1987). Kirkland and Saunders (1991) explain that summary writing
has internal and external constraints to the student. External constraints include
familiarity with the schema, length of the text, abstractness etc. The internal
constraints are the cognitive load placed on students which include analysis,
super-ordination, reconceptualisation, evaluation and selection.
It is clear that summary writing involves many higher level cognitive skills
that require development in students. The Caribbean Secondary Education
Certificate (CSEC) English A examination includes a compulsory summary
writing question. Over the years, the examinations governing body, the
questions while reading the text (Frey et al., 2003). The text is divided into
sections or stopping points. At the end of each stopping point the teacher and
students discuss the meaning of what was read and explain any vocabulary
met. Following that, a single summary sentence is created. This process is
repeated until the end of the text. The different summary sentences come
together to form a prcis, the sentences are combined through transitional
words, dependent clauses etc. to form a summary. According to Cunningham,
the strategys developer, the students analyse ways to delete non-essential
information and use their own words to summarize the main idea or the gist
of the selection (1982). Frey et al.s study involving adolescents with little
stamina for sustained writing yielded two main benefits for the students: the
creation of complex sentences to convey more information and self-editing
(2003).
Another of the strategies to be implemented in the teaching of summary
writing is Magnet Summary. The strategy identifies the key term or concept or
magnet word, from which the students organise important information around.
The first step is identifying the magnet word, after which important details
connected to this word are drawn to it. This process is repeated with each
section or paragraph of the text. Sentences are constructed from each detail
associated with each magnet word and combined to create a summary. The
major advantages of using magnet summaries is that it encourages students to
write concepts from the text into their own words, construct meaningful
synthesis of what was read and easily identify main ideas (Buehl, 2001). Buehl,
the methods developer, used the strategy with ninth-grade students and found
that the strategy develops the ability to separate main ideas from supporting
details, an understanding of any jargon used is achieved and students become
able to reduce texts the most essential elements (2014). In addition, because
magnet summaries condense reading about specific topics into several key
words or phrases it allows incorporation of all the relevant information (Urquhart
and McIver, 2005).
Despite a small number of studies focussing on summary writing in
general and GIST or Magnet Summary in particular, the research shows that
both strategies place great emphasis on developing an understanding of the
content matter of the text before embarking on writing the summary itself.
However, a potential drawback of both is that students may have difficulty
when a paragraph or section contains more than one main idea, as is the case
with most expository pieces that have information interwoven in it. With
practice and, understanding and implementation of the teaching strategies,
students will develop a greater proficiency in identifying all the main ideas in a
passage and navigate the expository techniques and complexities of the author.
Much focus has been given to the link between student self-efficacy and
performance in writing. Self-efficacy refers to the beliefs a person has about
individual ability. It is defined as people's beliefs about their capabilities to
produce designated levels of performance (Bandura, 1994, p. 71). Students
with a low self-efficacy towards a task will avoid it and one way of developing it
is through performance accomplishments (Schunk, 1991). Performance
accomplishments are dependent of the effectiveness of teaching strategies and
the students cognitive abilities relating to task. Even though self-efficacy is not
the only determinant of self-regulating behaviour, it is still a contributor. Pajares
(2003) listed the three most popular ways of measuring writing self-efficacy:
possession of specific writing skills, ability to display those skills and confidence
in completing a writing task. Therefore instruction geared towards developing
self-efficacy must focus on both the skills for the task and the final piece of
writing where those skills are employed. Students who possess any of the
measures of self-efficacy will possess a high level of motivation which is a vital
force in success or failure at school (Graham & Weiner, 1996). In the simplest
terms, an elevated level of confidence results in students willing to attempt
writing tasks that are perceived as difficult, hence the chance of scoring a
higher grade is increased.
Chapter 3
Research Methodology
Purpose of the Study
As the Rule-based Strategy of teaching summary writing has not produced
student competence in the area, the study evaluated the effectiveness of the
use of GIST and Magnet Summary as alternative methods of direct instruction.
In addition, it determined if the different methods have positively affected
student self-efficacy in the area.
Research Questions
1. Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary aid students in accurately
identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a passage, and
combining them to produce a summary?
2. Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary improve student performance
and self-efficacy at summary writing?
This chapter describes the design of the research and describes the target
group of students and classroom setting. It explains the instruments used to
collect data and the method of data analysis. A unit map and unit objectives for
the planned intervention are also stated.
Design
The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of GIST and
Magnet Summary in aiding students to better elicit information from texts and
synthesise the information into a coherent summary. It also aimed to determine
if the strategies developed student self-efficacy in summary writing. The
research type used was action research, which identifies a dilemma in a specific
context facing the researcher while systematically collecting data and
developing an intervention. The main point of action research is to find out
more about what is going on in your own local context in order to change or
improve current practice in that situation (Burns, in Heigham & Croker, 2009,
pp. 115).
The research aimed to see the effect of the intervention on both student
scores in assessments and attitudes towards the task. As such, a mixed
methods approach was used, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative
methods. The benefit of this approach is that it allows the researcher to collect
both numeric information and text to answer the research questions (Ivankova
& Creswell in Heigham & Croker, 2009).
The most suitable type of mixed method design to the research is
Triangulation Design. Data was not collected in a sequential order; instead,
qualitative and quantitative data was collected simultaneously, even concerning
the same research question. This method allowed the collection of both types of
data on a single phenomenon so that it can be compared (Ivankova & Creswell
in Heigham & Croker, 2009). This was most suited for the research, as it sought
to investigate the effects of two different methods of teaching summary writing
on student performance, competence and self-efficacy. Though the method was
not time consuming, it required equal careful analysis of the qualitative and
quantitative data to produce accurate and valid findings.
The quantitative data was derived from a pre-test and post-test. A pretest was administered before each strategy was taught to provide a base score
for comparison when the method of instruction is implemented. The pre-test
and post-test was assessed using a rubric allocating marks for length, form,
content, process and meaning (See Appendix 1). In addition, qualitative and
quantitative data was obtained from a questionnaire with both set and openended questions (See Appendix 2). The questionnaires were distributed and
collected at the end of direct instruction in GIST and Magnet Summary. The use
of questionnaires allows the students sufficient time to complete the feedback
and enables them to respond in their own words (Kothari, 2004). However, a
potential drawback is that all questionnaires would be returned; to address this
researcher assigned a forty minute teaching period for completion of the
questionnaires and clarified the meaning of any question if asked during this
period. These way only students absent on the day would not have completed
the questionnaire. However, it was noticed that respondents did not elaborate
responses in the open ended questions and student journals.
Non-numerical data was also collected through open-ended questions on
the student questionnaire and student journals. Student journals gauged their
understanding and response to the intervention used (See Appendix 3). The
journals were administered at the end of the intervention and provided insight
from the participants viewpoint and also showed the progression of learning
over the study (Mills, 2007). A self-efficacy test was administered before and
after the intervention to measure changes to attitudes of proficiency in different
skill areas in summary writing (See Appendix 4). The self-efficacy test designed
by the researcher was based on Chen et al.s (2001) New General Self-Efficacy
Scale. It consisted of eight items that were rated on a five-point scales with the
exercises without the direct supervision and guidance of the teacher. The
complaints given include the exercise being too difficult, problems in identifying
the main ideas, problems paraphrasing information and the content being
abstract. This was the same for the students repeating CSEC examinations
despite having received instruction in summary writing before.
The intervention aimed to improve attitudes to summary writing by
developing skills that can be employed to produce better summaries, thereby
making the task easier and less intimidating to the students. Such skills would
result in improved grades which will enhance self-efficacy and results in school
and CSEC examinations.
Generally, summary writing was taught in the first term of Form Five, but
teachers have the latitude to introduce the topic towards the end of Form Four.
The students were very willing to cooperate with the teacher in class and are
motivated to participate in the study as they realise summary writing is an area
that they need to focus on.
Instruments and Materials
During the project, the teacher used graphic organisers, practice
exercises, modelling exercises, student questionnaires/journals and multimedia
presentations. The students were instructed as a whole class over a period of
three to four (3-4) cycles. The students were given direct instruction in
summary writing using GIST and Magnet Summary.
The first research question sought to determine whether the use of GIST
or Magnet Summary aided students in accurately identifying the main ideas and
Research
Question
1
Data Collection
Tools/Instruments
Method
Assessing
Observing
Surveying
Surveying
Questionnaires
Questionnaire, Student Journal
Observing
Assessing
Self-efficacy Tests, Student journal
Figure1. Action Research Triangulation Matrix
The Pre-test and Post test scores will be compared and the mean, median
and mode calculated. The Z-score will also be calculated to see whether the
score was of a significant difference from the base score. This statistical
operation was used because the conversion of each test score to a sigma score
makes them equally weighted and comparable (Best & Kahn, 1998, p. 353). By
subtracting the mean from the raw score and dividing it by the standard
deviation the Z-score is achieved. If the score is equivalent or near to a past
assessment, it would mean that the performance was typical, showing no great
impact of the alternative strategies used. This will be done for both the GIST
and Magnet Summary. At the end of each strategy a questionnaire containing
both open ended and fixed responses will be given. The fixed responses will be
collated and the open ended questions will be coded to determine recurring
themes in the student responses. Coding for recurring themes will also be done
for a student journal that students will complete at the end of the intervention.
The scores on the Likert Scale of the self-efficacy test will be tabulated and the
mean, median and mode calculated. The scores before and after the
intervention will be compared to see if there were any changes in student
beliefs about their ability to complete the performance tasks mentioned in the
questions.
Unit of Lessons
(See Appendix 5. All audio-visual material for lessons can be found in the
accompanying disk)
Unit
1.
2.
3.
4.
Objectives
Identify the main ideas of a text using GIST and Magnet Summary.
Modify similar main ideas into a single coherent sentence.
Arrange the main ideas in a logical sequence.
Identify the appropriate transitional device to be used in given
sentences or paragraphs
5.
Write paraphrased sentences, keeping the original meaning.
6.
Rephrase sentences to reflect the main idea, without supporting
examples.
7.
Select redundancies to be omitted in a summary
8.
Select appropriate quantifiers to use in replacing statistics.
9.
Understand how the authors purpose affects the content of the text.
Lesson
number
Focus/Topic
and duration
Teaching Point
Applying GIST
1 Period40 minutes
Introducing
Magnet
Summaries
2 Periods80 minutes
Magnet
Summaries
involves choosing
a key word that
attracts
Objectives
(Students will be able
to)
Assessment
Teaching &
Learning Strategies
Resources
http://www.engli
shdaily626.com/
summary.php?
036
CSEC English A
Past Papers: P02
Section A-May
2007
A passage
adapted from:
http://jamaicagleaner.com/glea
ner/20140319/he
supporting details.
3. Arrange the supporting
details in order to create
a complete sentence from
the Magnet Word and
supporting details.
4. Orally present a plan of
main ideas to be used in
creating a summary.
Applying Magnet A Magnet
1. Identify the main ideas or
Summaries
Summary is
Magnet Words in a
1 Periodidentifying the
passage.
40 minutes
key term or
2. Select supporting details
concept from the
for a Magnet Word.
passage and
3. Uses the Magnet Word
attracting the
and supporting details to
supporting details
create complete
of the term or
sentences for use in a
concept to create a
summary.
complete sentence
or sentences.
Combining main The main ideas
1. Identify the main ideas
ideas
can be linked
the passage.
2 Periodstogether when
2. Select supporting details
80 minutes
referring to the
for the main ideas
same idea in the
chosen.
passage.
3. Select main ideas with
similar themes to create a
summary of the passage.
4. Arrange the main ideas
in a logical sequence.
supporting details.
alth/health1.html
This combines to
form the main
ideas of a passage.
CSEC English A
Past Papers: P02
Section A-May
2004
Shabine by
Hazel SimmonsMcDonald
Transitional
Devices
1 Period40 minutes
Paraphrasing
2 Periods80 minutes
Omitting
Repetition
1 Period40 minutes
A transitional
device joins
different sentence
in a paragraph. It
indicates an
upcoming event,
supporting details
or introduces a
contrasting idea.
Paraphrasing is
rewriting a
sentence but
keeping the same
meaning.
omitted.
Students will complete Writing
a worksheet
Teacher modelling
combining a series or
Pair work
related sentences
using transitional
devices learnt.
Game: Tell me
again-Students will
be divided into groups
and given a series of
sentences on the
board. Each group is
given 1.5 minutes to
orally paraphrase the
sentence. The group
with the most
sentences correctly
paraphrased will be
the winner.
Students will be given
sample sentences
which include the use
of examples from the
text. Students will
work in pairs to
rewrite the sentences
keeping the main idea
only.
http://faithpasila
n.blogspot.com/2
006/09/transition
al-device.html
Peer editing
Writing
Group work
Speaking
Games
Word lists
https://owl.englis
h.purdue.edu/ow
l/owlprint/930/
English for All:
Examination
Level (CSEC) by
Roy Narinesingh
and Bhadase
Seetahal-Maraj
Pair work
Writing
Editing
A
Comprehensive
English Course
by Uriel
Narinesingh and
Clifford
Narinesingh
http://www.engli
shdaily626.com/
summary.php?
idea.
024
Omitting
Statistical Data
and Examples
2 Periods-80
minutes
Statistics and
examples are used
to persuade the
reader of the
authors point of
view. In summary
writing, statistics
and examples are
omitted or
paraphrased.
10
Determining the
Writers
Intention
1 Period-40
minutes
The writers
intention is the
purpose is the
reason why the
text was written.
There are four
main purposes to
an authors
passage: to
persuade, to
inform, to
entertain and to
explain.
A slide of a passage
will be displayed from
the projector. Class
will be divided in to
two groups: one will
identify the
redundancies and the
other statistical data.
Students will
individually rewrite
the passage omitting
statistical data and
repetition.
Teacher will place
questions on the
writers intention on
the board. Students
will read the passage
aloud and orally
respond to the
questions given,
explaining their
answers. Answers will
be noted in their
books.
Group work
Editing
Writing
A
Comprehensive
English Course
by Uriel
Narinesingh and
Clifford
Narinesingh
CSEC English A
Past Papers: P02
Section A- Jan
2010
Think aloud
Questioning and
responding
Group work
CSEC English A
Past Papers: P02
Section A-Jan.
2013
Chapter 4
Findings
The study investigated the use of GIST and Magnet Summary in aiding
students in identifying main ideas and supporting details, and combining
them to produce a summary. It also investigated the effect of the teaching
strategies chosen on student self-efficacy. This chapter presents the findings
from the intervention and relates them to the research questions set out at
the beginning of the study.
Research question 1:
Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary aid students in accurately
identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a passage, and
combining them to produce a summary?
Pre-test and Post test
A Pre-test and Post-test was administered before and after instruction
of each of the teaching strategies. The results are presented below and the
mean, median, mode and standard deviation were calculated. (See Appendix
6 for samples of Pre-tests and Post-tests)
Student
AC
AF
CC
CA
CJ
DM
DT-J
GIST Method
Pre-Test
Post-Test
(30
(30
marks)
12
13
17
16
13
12
18
marks)
13
13
18
16
15
13
18
Magnet Summary
Student
Pre-Test
Post-Test
(30
(30
AC
AF
CC
CA
CJ
DM
DT-J
marks)
15
14
19
17
19
19
21
marks)
16
14
19
17
22
20
23
JB
JN
KM
KT
LR
ME
TL
TN
TJ
YC
Mean
Median
Mode
Standard
14
17
19
12
13
12
15
11
12
18
14.35294
13
12
0.75541
15
17
17
13
13
8
15
12
13
18
14.52941
13
13
0.76468
JB
JN
KM
KT
LR
ME
TL
TN
TJ
YC
17
22
20
15
16
14
18
14
14
18
19
25
24
16
16
13
18
15
15
18
17.17647
17
14
0.90402
18.23529
17
16
0.95975
Deviation
Pre-Test
(30
Post-Test
(30
Pre-Test
(30
Post-Test
(30
marks)
marks)
marks)
marks)
GIST Method
Magnet Summary
Figure 3. Table showing the Pre-test and Post-test scores on the sample for
the teaching strategies employed.
The mean score after the instruction in both GIST and Magnet
Summary increased. The mean score for GIST increased by 0.17647, on the
other hand, after instruction in Magnet Summary, the mean increased by a
larger amount: 1.05882. The modal score also increased after instruction in
both strategies. The GIST modal score increased by 1, from 12 to 13, while
the Magnet Summary modal score increased by 2, from 14 to 16. The
increase in assessment scores indicate that the students were able to
slightly improve their ability to identify the main ideas and supporting details
and combine to write a summary in both strategies. However, in light of the
maximum score being 30 marks, it is evident that the students need more
Student
Test
Test
Score
Test
Score
Score
Test
Scor
e
AC
12
-3.11
13
-1.79
15
-2.41
16
-2.33
AF
13
-1.79
13
-1.79
14
-3.51
14
-4.41
CC
17
3.50
18
4.54
19
2.02
19
.80
CA
16
2.18
16
1.92
17
-0.20
17
-1.29
CJ
13
-1.79
15
0.62
19
2.02
22
3.92
DM
12
-3.11
13
-1.79
19
2.02
20
1.84
DT-J
18
4.83
18
4.54
21
4.23
23
4.96
JB
14
-0.47
15
0.62
17
-0.20
19
.80
JN
17
3.50
17
3.23
22
5.34
25
7.05
KM
19
6.15
17
3.23
20
3.12
24
6.01
KT
12
-3.11
13
-1.79
15
-2.41
16
-2.33
LR
13
-1.79
13
-1.79
16
-1.30
16
-2.33
ME
12
-3.11
8
-8.64
14
-3.51
13
-5.45
TL
15
0.86
15
0.62
18
0.91
18
-0.25
TN
11
-4.44
12
-3.31
14
-3.51
15
-3.37
TJ
12
-3.11
13
-1.79
14
-3.51
15
-3.37
YC
18
4.83
18
4.54
18
0.91
18
-0.25
Figure 4. Table showing Z-Sores of the Pre-test and Post-test of GIST and
Magnet Summary
By using a difference of +1 or -1 as the minimum range of positive or
negative change respectively, the Z-scores showed how the students
performed in the Post-test when compared to the Pre-test. In GIST, 47% of
the students showed an increase of 1 or more in the Z-scores, while 35%
showed an increase of less than 1. This indicates that for nearly half of the
sample, the performance in the Post-test can be considered an improvement.
It seems that most of the students were able to achieve greater competency
in the skill levels indicated in Research Question1. The Post-test Z-Scores in
Magnet Summary showed that 12 % of students increased their Z-Scores by
1 or more, while the majority showed little or no difference. Despite the
mean score in the Magnet Summary tests being higher, the scores in the
Post-test and Pre-test had close Z-scores. This indicates that the performance
was typical for the students and a small segment of the sample were able to
improve on the performance standards investigated using that strategy.
Research Question 2
Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary improve student performance and
self-efficacy at summary writing?
Questionnaires
Questionnaires were distributed after the completion of lessons on
each strategy. The data consisted of closed and open ended questions. The
fixed response question responses are tabulated below and the open ended
responses were coded to determine recurring themes. (See Appendix 7 for
sample questionnaires).
12
10
8
Frequency
Very Well
Acceptable
Need More Work
Do Not Understand
2
0
GIST
Magnet Summary
Teaching Strategy
Ye
So
N
Tea
ching Strategy
m
o
s
ew
Freqency
ha
t
GIST
Most students liked the
Magnet Summary
There were mixed
responses to the
helpfulness
students made
comparisons to GIST.
understand because he
a puzzle together
it
There were mixed views on
summary writing
writing easier.
5
Strongl
y Agree
Pr
Po
Pr
Po
Pr
Po
Pr
Po
Pr
Pos
e
0
st
0
e
0
st
0
e
11
st
6
e
6
st
13
e
2
t
0
10
10
10
10
10
summary
Figure 8. Table showing student responses to a self-efficacy test administered
before and after the intervention.
The results showed a movement from the lower end of the Likert Scale,
which represented an inhibited feeling of self-efficacy by the student, to the
higher end of the scale in all questions. A significant improvement was seen
when students were asked about the ease in identifying the main ideas and
combining them into complete sentences, 32 % indicated a score of 4 or
Agree before the intervention which more than doubled to 68 % after.
Initially, 32 % of the sample felt that it was difficult to determine the order of
ideas in the passage, this dropped to 21 %. Before the intervention, 11 %
Feedback
Majority of students indicated that
they felt better able to write a
summary. One student stated it was
easier to understand the points of
the summary. While another said, I
feel better about writing summaries
and even look forward to doing
them. Some still believed it was
main ideas.
Figure 9. Table showing major themes from student feedback from student
journal
Students were of a consensus that the strategies taught did assist in
improving their competence in summary writing. Despite, some students still
harbouring negative feelings to the task, the vast majority believed the
teaching strategies were helpful.
Chapter 5
Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations
Discussion
Research Question 1: Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary aid students
in accurately identifying the main ideas and supporting details in a passage,
and combining them to produce a summary?
From the increase in mean scores in the Post-tests of both GIST and
Magnet Summary, there is a good indication that students were able to
identify the main ideas and supporting details in and passage, and combine
them to produce a summary. This was also indicated by the Z-scores. It
should be noted a greater amount of students showed an increase in their Zscore in GIST than in Magnet Summary. In addition, the responses from the
questionnaire show that for both strategies, the majority of students
considered their ability to identify the main idea in a summary passage as
Acceptable.
The improvement seen agrees with Urquhart and McIvers (2005) view
that exposure to models of summary writing will improve student
competency and performance. The use of graphic organisers in GIST and
Magnet Summary enabled students to both self-edit and link the main ideas
to supporting details. The self-editing occurs when the students use the
graphic organisers to formulate sentences to use in the summary. The linking
of main ideas to supporting details occur when students ask the Five Ws
and How in GIST and attract the supporting details to the Magnet Word or
Magnet Phrase in Magnet Summary. These skills were mentioned by Frey et
al. (2003) and Buehl (2014) as skills necessary for summary writing. The
results show that the methods used by Cunningham (1982) and Buehl (2001
& 2014) are still relevant, effective and applicable to the contemporary
classroom
Research Question 2: Will the use of GIST or Magnet Summary improve
student self-efficacy at summary writing?
The open ended questions in the questionnaires showed that the
students responded positively to the teaching strategies. Students found that
the procedural approach in GIST and Magnet Summary aided them in
identifying the main ideas as the text could now be approached as
manageable pieces instead of an entire body. The journals echoed the same
sentiments and students indicated that they developed a preference for a
one strategy over the other. In addition they felt better able to write
summaries after the intervention. Student self-efficacy increased in the skill
area of identifying main ideas, ordering ideas, omitting repetition, example
as statistics, and paraphrasing sentences. However, the self-efficacy levels
remained fairly the same regarding identifying the writers intention, time
management and their feeling about being able to write a good summary.
Even though some admitted that their skill levels in some competencies in
summary writing improved, that still did not make any significant change in
attitude to summary writing.
The students being able to rate specific writing skills in the selfefficacy tests agrees with Pajares (2003) that it is an accurate way to
determine self-efficacy in writing. The data form the self-efficacy test
showed that students felt that they were more competent in restating or
paraphrasing text. This is of importance as it is a main indicator of
competence in summary writing. It is a feature of more competent writers
according to Brown et al. (1983). Cunningham (1982) considers it one of the
main benefits of GIST. In addition, the Caribbean Examinations Council
(2014) lists it as one of the critical areas in need of development at the CSEC
level.
Conclusion
This curriculum study indicates that the use of GIST and Magnet
Summary as modes of direct instruction of summary writing does enable
students to easily identify the main ideas and supporting details in a
passage, and combine them to produce a summary. In addition, using GIST
and Magnet Summary in the classroom has resulted in an increase in student
self-efficacy about summary writing and most of its specific competencies.
Constraints
Due to an electrical fire at the school, there was significant class time
lost due to early dismissal and student absenteeism due to the problems
with the water and electricity supply. Before the disruptions began, six of the
lessons were completed, the researcher sent notes to parents to send the
students out on specified days after final examinations and during the
vacation. The parents were supportive of the attempt to compensate for the
lost class time and the majority of students attended. The remaining lesson
was taught during these days. However, as there was not full attendance
less student journals were completed. In addition, it was observed that
students were reluctant to elaborate written responses in the open ended
questions in the questionnaires and in the journal.
Implications
The experience of conducting this curriculum study has enabled the
researcher to constantly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of
classroom pedagogy. The researcher has developed an appreciation of
regular student feedback, which is analysed to generate evidence for the
success of a classroom practice or the need to alter it. As an English teacher,
the use of journals and open ended questions were of particular interest as it
involves students writing their candid opinions when done anonymously or in
a non-judgmental environment. The study enabled the researcher to
positively affect the sample both in increased performance and self-efficacy
relating to summary writing. The lessons provided some new best practices
for other teachers to utilise in the school and evaluate its appropriateness for
their specific classes. Though the study is small, it has made a small
contribution to the body of data on teaching summary writing. It is hoped
that it serves as a catalyst for the researcher or other to conduct a larger
study over a longer period of time to ascertain more solid data.
Recommendations
After conducting the study, the following recommendations can be
made:
Appendix 1
Pre-test and Post-test Rubric
Skill levels
19-24:
13-18:
Competent Approachi
ng
competenc
e
The
The
summary is summary is
a bit longer somewhat
or shorter
longer or
than the
shorter than
stated word the stated
limit. (4
word limit.
marks)
(3-2
marks)
Summa
ry
criteria
25-30:
Superior
Length
5
marks
The
summary is
within the
stated word
limit. (5
marks)
Form
5
marks
The
summary is
written in
paragraph
form
There are
few
mistakes in
grammar
and
punctuation
. (5 marks)
The
summary is
written in
paragraph
form
There are
several
mistakes in
grammar
and
punctuation
. (4 marks)
Conten
t
10
marks
Main idea of
the passage
is stated in
the first
sentence or
sentences.
The writer
uses only
essential
information
from the
Main idea of
the passage
is stated in
the middle
of the
summary.
The writer
uses mainly
essential
information
and some
7-12: Poor
0-6:
Unable to
summaris
e text
The
summary is
much longer
or shorter
than the
stated word
limit. (0-1
mark)
The
summary is
as long as
the original
passage or
too short.
(0 marks)
The
summary is
written in
paragraph
form
There are
many
mistakes in
grammar
and
punctuation
. (3 marks)
The
summary is
written in
note/bullet fo
rm
There are
several mist
akes in
grammar
and
punctuation.
(2 marks)
Main idea of
the passage
is stated at
the end of
the
summary
The writer
uses minor
details and
nonessential
Main idea of
the passage
is not stated
at all, it is
suggested or
implied. The
writer uses
personal
knowledge
and nonessential
The
summary is
written in
note/bullet
form
There
many
mistakes in
grammar
and
punctuatio
n. (0-1
mark)
The main
idea of the
passage is
not stated,
suggested
or implied
in the
summary.
The writer
uses
mainly
passage to
support the
main idea of
the
summary.
(8-10
marks)
Meanin
g
5
marks
The writer
uses words
in the
summary
which have
the same
logical
sequence as
the
passage. (5
marks)
minor
details from
the passage
to support
the main
idea of the
summary
(6-7
marks)
The writer
uses some
words from
the passage
to write the
summary.
There is few
repetition,
examples or
statistical
data from
the
passage. (4
marks)
information
from the
passage to
support the
main idea of
the
summary.
(4-5
marks)
The writer
uses some
sentences
from the
passage to
write the
summary.
There is
some
repetition,
examples or
statistical
data from
the
passage. (3
marks)
details from
the passage
to support
the main
idea of the
summary.
(2-3 marks)
personal
information
to support
the main
idea of the
summary.
(0-1
mark)
The writer
uses
sections
(chunks)
from the
passage to
write the
summary.
There is
repetition,
examples or
statistical
data from
the passage.
(2 marks)
The writer
uses some
words in the
summary
which have
the same
logical
sequence as
the
passage. (4
marks)
The writer
uses words
in the
summary
which have
a similar
sequence as
the
passage. (3
marks)
The writer
uses words
in the
summary
which do not
have a
sequence
similar to the
passage. (2
marks)
The writer
copies the
whole
passage
for the
summary.
There is
much
repetition,
examples
or
statistical
data from
the
passage.
(0-1
mark)
The writer
uses words
in the
summary
which do
not show
any logical
sequence.
(0-1
mark)
Appendix 2
Student Questionnaire
Student Feedback on Learning Summary Writing: GIST
Instructions: The purpose of this questionnaire is to receive feedback on your
experiences doing summary writing this term. Please answer the following
questions honestly. Thank you for your feedback.
1. Do you understand how to identify the main idea in a summary?
Very Well
Understand
Acceptable
Do Not
2. Do you understand how to find the main ideas using the GIST Method?
Yes
No
Somewhat
Explain you answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. What do you like and dislike about the GIST Method of summary
writing?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you like or now like writing summaries using this method? Please
explain reasons for your answer.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Acceptable
Do Not
Appendix 3
Student Journal
Name: _____________________
Journal
Write a short journal on your feelings about what we did in summary writing.
Use the following guides to help in your response:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Appendix 4
Student Self-Efficacy Test
Summary Writing
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neutral or Maybe
Agree
Strongly agree
Directions: Answer the following questions based on how you feel about your writing on this topic.
Appendix 5
Unit of Lessons
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES, ST. AUGUSTINE
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
ENGLISH LESSON PLAN
TEACHER: Hassan Basarally
CLASS:
5L
have to utilise this skill in report writing in the world of work. Many students
have difficulty approaching a passage because its content is something they
may not be familiar with. Therefore, it is very important to teach students
effective ways to elicit the main ideas in a passage, as this is the first step in
writing a summary.
PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE / PERFORMANCE:
main ideas
ANTICIPATED DIFFICULTY:
the passage
Reading comprehension,
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative:
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: The teacher will write the sentence After talking
to Shania, I found out the gist of what went on the class I missed.
Students will be asked what they think the work gist means.
When the correct meaning is arrived at, the teacher will tell them
that there is a way to identifying the main ideas in summary
writing called the GIST Method.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening
Individual reading
Questioning/Responding
Reading
Responding
Role play/Responding
Group work
Modelling
Speaking/ Peer evaluation
CLOSURE: The teacher will ask students to remind the class of how to use
the GIST Method and how to complete the graphic.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Why:
How:
2. Write a 20-word GIST.
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
____________
As a society we need to go behind the bigger picture, the one that is causing the greater damage
which is alcohol. We have to look at the alcohol use among these girls and educate them, he
said. He said many people would choose to use alcohol to drug a girl because next day they
could always lay the blame on her saying she was drunk and she asked for sex. Or, she may
blame herself and admitting she had too much to drink so I looked for it.
Deyalsingh noted that most date rapes occurred not with strangers, but with someone the victim
knew. There was a cousin who would rape his cousin after she came over after spiking her
drink. Or, it may not be the person you are with, but sometimes friends may carry you to a party
and other people there may commit the act.
Now, we may ask why would someone want to commit such an act. They want to have
something with somebody they dont think they will get through with, or have sex with
somebody and they dont want her to know. They may want to have sex with someone, but
society would not agree, so they drug them. It is taboo sex, he said.
It is not just about somebody wanting to have sex with a family member or a boy on a kicks
scene where they get a girl drunk and they have sex with her. This is like a crime of opportunity,
she is there for the taking, he said.
Deyalsingh said there was a risk in administering these drugs to unsuspecting people, especially
if mixed with alcohol. This could cause the central nervous system to seize up and the person
could have respiratory arrest and die.
He warned that a woman must have someone who she can trust to look out for her when she goes
out. She must also be able to call a central rape line and get to a doctor since these drugs are
flushed out of the system within 12 to 72 hours
Women are advised against accepting drinks from others and not sharing drinks. They must be
vigilant in watching their drink, and having a non-drinking friend with them to make sure
nothing happens.
5L
Applying
Generating
Interactions
Reading comprehension,
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/gistsummarizing-strategy-content-290.html
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
ASSESSMENT
(CLASSIFICATION)
Formative:
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: The teacher writes the 5 Ws and How on the
board and asks students to explain how these words help in
summary writing.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
12.
Teacher will list the steps of the
GIST Method and draw their attention
to the chart prepared for the class
13.
Students will be given a passage
entitled Cassava which they will read
individually.
14.
The teacher will draw the
Combined GIST Template on the
board
15.
Students will be asked fill in the
template as a class.
16.
Teacher will use responses to
formulate some sentences to be used
in a summary.
17.
Students will be asked to work
in pairs to create the other sentences
needed to complete a skeleton of the
summary.
18.
Some students will be asked to
present their sentences and the class
asked whether they missed out any
supporting details of the main idea.
19.
Students will be asked to
individually complete the Combined
GIST Template and draft topic
sentences for a summary.
20.
Teacher reviews students
notebooks
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening
Questioning/Responding
Modelling
Pair work/Writing/Responding
Peer evaluation/Responding
Drafting/Editing
CLOSURE: The teacher will complete the Combined GIST Template on the
board and ask students to volunteer to write the steps of the GIST method on
the board
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Questio
n
Who
What
When
Where
Why
How
Section 1:
Section2:
Section 3:
5L
Reading comprehension,
ANTICIPATED DIFFICULTY:
Identification of Magnet
vocabulary of technical jargon used in the passage
Words,
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative:
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: Teacher writes the word Magnet Summary on
the board and asks for five volunteers. Five magnets are placed on
a desk. One student is given a magnet labelled Magnet Word and
told to attract any of the other magnets from the desk and read
the label of the magnet (Supporting Detail). Each of the other
volunteers is told to do the same.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
1. The teacher asks the students to
formulate a definition for Magnet
Summary based on what they saw in
the set induction.
2. The teacher writes the definition on
the board, editing where necessary.
3. Students are asked to think back to
the set induction and work in pairs to
list what they think will be the steps to
be taken in the method of Magnet
Summaries.
4. Pairs are to orally present their steps.
5. Teacher lists the steps given by the
students on the board and highlights
to most suitable ones.
6. Students read the passage
individually.
7. Students are placed into groups to
identify the Magnet Words in the
passage. Students must also justify
their selection.
8. The teacher selects the most suitable
Magnet Words and distributes the
Magnet Summary Template.
9. The teacher completes a Magnet
Summary Template as an example.
10.
Students continue to work in
groups to complete the graphic
organiser filling in the supporting
details.
11.
Students individually write a
summary sentence for each Magnet
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening/Responding
Note taking
Listening/Responding
Listening/Speaking
Individual reading
Group work/Peer evaluation
Modelling
Group work
Writing/Editing
CLOSURE: The teacher recaps the steps in Magnet Summaries and selects
the student with the best summary sentence for each Magnet Word to write
his/her response on the board.
LESSON EVALUATION: Students will attach the graphic organiser in
their notebooks which the teacher will collect to determine whether
the supporting details were relevant to the Magnet Word and if the
summary sentence/s contained the main idea and supporting detail.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social networking sites are a godsend
to kids and teens who want to get in touch and know what is going on with
their friends or relatives. By just opening a website, they can communicate
with and learn about all the people who are important to them (at least those
who are signed in to the same network).
The one common bad effect of social media is addiction - the constant
checking of Facebook, Twitter, or other social media updates. When
technology abusers check their device very often it triggers the addictionoriented parts of their brains. For kids and teens, this addiction could disrupt
other worthwhile activities like concentrating in schoolwork, reading or
engaging in sports. Baroness Susan Greenfield, a top neuroscientist of the
Oxford University warns about the lifelong effects of too much social
networking. Social networking sites make kids more self-centred.
Since
Facebook and other sites give kids their own page which is about them, it
leads some vulnerable kids to think that everything revolves around them, a
precursor for emotional problems in their later life. This might also result in
inability to empathize.
influencers and anonymous venoms and hunting grounds for deviants and
other predators. For kids who crave attention, Facebook and other social
network becomes a venue for them to act out. These kids may make
inappropriate statements, pictures and videos that could ultimately harm
them. Also, posts and materials that are published online tend to be
permanent and may haunt them in the future.
On the other hand, other experts like the MacArthur Foundation see it
differently.
technical and social skills online in ways that adults do not understand or
value. Social networking makes kids more peer-based. Young people are
motivated to learn from their peers online.
feedback from one another. They are motivated to learn more from each
other than from adults. Teachers and adults are no longer the only sources
of knowledge. Social networks actually make kids more relationship-oriented,
considerate, and emphatic.
them. They comment on pictures, videos and status of their friends. They
create longer term friendships by being in touch online even when friends
are no longer physically meeting.
How can parents make the most of social media? Tell your kid to spend more
time in real-life friendships and activities - Real face-to-face interaction is
deeper and warmer than online friendships. Your kid learns more social skills
in relating to and having face-to-face communication with his friends. Online
friendships does not teach your kid to listen to subtle vocal cues, interpret
body language, and adapt to different personalities - skills that are often
important to survive in the real world. Encourage your child's other passion
or interest - Instead of constantly telling your kid to stop going online,
discover his other interests and nurture them. Examples of these are sports,
playing a musical instrument, writing, crafts, etc. Support him when he is
__________________
Magnet Word/Phrase
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Summary Sentence
5L
Reading comprehension,
ANTICIPATED DIFFICULTY:
Identification of Magnet
vocabulary of technical jargon used in the passage
TECHNOLOGIES AND RESEARCH RESOURCES:
Words,
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative:
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: Teacher draws a Magnet Summary Template and
uses the word Migration as the Magnet Word. Four students are
asked to come to the board and fill in a supporting detail they
would expect to read in a piece of writing on that topic.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
12.
The teacher asks the students
to formulate a list of steps in Magnet
Summaries and writes it on the
board.
13.
The teacher asks students to
work in pairs and orally give one
sentence on anything they know
about Migration.
14.
The teacher distributes copies of
the hand out Migration and assigns
four student to each read one
paragraph of the passage.
15.
The class is divided into four
groups and each assigned a
paragraph form the passage to
complete the Magnet Summary
Template.
16.
Each group selects one member
to draw their completed Magnet
Summary Template on the board.
17.
The other three groups are
asked whether they can use the
information provided in a summary.
18.
The other group completes 5-6.
19.
The class copies the Magnet
Summary Template for each
paragraph.
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening/Responding
Note taking
Listening/Responding
Round Robin Reading
Group work
Listening/Speaking
Peer evaluation/Jigsaw
CLOSURE: The teacher uses a supporting detail from one of the paragraphs
to formulate a complete sentence that can be used in a summary. One
member from each group is asked to do the same.
CONTINGENCY PLAN:
The passage and graphic organiser was
scanned and can be shown on a laptop or projector.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
5L
Reading comprehension,
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative:
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: Students are shown a trailer for the movie 12
Years a Slave. They are asked to take note of the events in the
movie that are mentioned in the trailer. Students are asked how is
a movie trailer similar to a summary.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
20.
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Round Robin
Note taking
Group work/Reading
Listening/Speaking
Jigsaw
Modelling
the story.
23.
Each group is given copies of
the Short Story Summary Chart to
complete.
24.
Each group sends one student
to the board to write their findings.
25.
The teacher uses the findings to
formulate some sample sentences for
the students to use to start their
individual summary of the story.
26.
Students write a summary of
the story Shabine.
Writing/Editing
CLOSURE: The teacher asks one person from each group to read their
completed summary of the story Shabine for the class.
LESSON EVALUATION: The student summaries will be collected and
assessed based on the prepared rubric.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Issue/Theme
5L
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative:
PROCEDURE
Summative:
Students will insert appropriate
transitional devices into a given
passage entitled Studying.
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Questioning and responding
Listening
Modelling
Group work
Speaking
Modelling
Writing/Editing
CLOSURE: The teacher gives each of the groups formed a piece of paper
with a different transitional device. Each group is to orally give an example of
a sentence using an example of the given type of transitional device.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
ENGLISH LESSON PLAN
TEACHER: Hassan Basarally
CLASS:
5L
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: Teacher instructs the students to pay very close
attention to what is going to be said. The teacher in no more than
5 sentences described what he/she did before the class. The
students are asked to write what the teacher did before class in
their books. The teacher reads some responses and points out that
instead of writing exactly what was said the students gave the
information and that is called paraphrasing.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
1. The teacher asks the students to think
about the set induction and formulate
some steps that could be taken in
paraphrased.
2. The teacher after listening to the
students places three rules on the
board: 1. Read the sentence carefully,
2. Replace words with synonyms and
3. Re read to make sure the meaning
is the same.
3. The teacher writes a sentence on the
board and demonstrates under it how
to paraphrase it.
4. The teacher distributes Equivalent
Sentences Worksheet and asks the
class to select the sentence that is
closest to the original and give justify
their answer.
5. The teacher selects individual
students and asks them to paraphrase
a sentence given.
6. Teacher then asks students to
paraphrase in writing 3 sentences
provided.
7. Students are asked to exchange books
and peers are asked to determine if
the meaning remains the same in the
responses given to them.
8. Students are divided into groups of 5
and the game: Tell me again is
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Thinking and responding
Modelling
Speaking/ Thinking and
responding
Speaking
Writing
Peer Editing/ Peer Review
Group work/Game/Speaking
Writing
CLOSURE: Three students are randomly selected from the class and asked
to each give one of the steps in paraphrasing.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Paraphrasing Worksheet
Section 1
Paraphrase the following sentences in the space given.
1. The new law governing landowners and tenants is designed not only to
relieve tenants but to stop the greedy exploitation now practiced by
the landowners.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. I was warned to use the appliance carefully in order to prevent damage
and I did as I was told.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Money spent on the construction of new schools is an investment
which will benefit the entire country.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Although we spoke to him about being responsible and keen in his job,
he ignored our advice.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. He told me that his chance for admission to university did not appear
to be bright.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
ANTICIPATED DIFFICULTY:
Students may interpret repetition as
different main ideas in the passage
TECHNOLOGIES AND RESEARCH RESOURCES:
Markers, whiteboard
http://www.englishdaily626.com/summary.php?024
A Comprehensive English Course by Uriel Narinesingh and Clifford
Narinesingh
Copies of the passage Thai Food
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION:
Teacher will write a sentence that has
redundancies on the board and ask students volunteer to come up
and underline words in the sentence that are repeating the same
meaning.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
1. Teacher explains that redundancies
are just like repetition. However,
repetition helps the reader understand
the passage better and it reinforces
an important point. In summary
writing repletion is omitted as long as
the main idea has already been
mentioned.
2. The teacher places another sentence
on the board with redundancies and
identifies the repetition and rewrites
the sentence.
3. Students are given 3 sentences to
rewrite individually, removing the
redundancies form the sentences.
4. The teacher distributes copies of the
passage Thai Food to students.
5. Students are instructed to work in
pairs to identify the instances of
repetition in the passage.
6. Students are asked to present their
responses to the class. The class gives
feedback as to the accuracy of the
responses.
7. Students are instructed to ensure that
each person has all the repetitions
highlighted in their worksheet.
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening/Thinking and
responding
Modelling
Writing
Pair work
Speaking/Peer review
CONTINGENCY PLAN:
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
2. Young people today make decisions without assistance and help from
anybody else.
3. There was much injustice in the unfair treatment to him.
4. They all agreed and unanimously decided to take part in the cycling
competition.
5. The army retreated back to the hills in order to prolong the long battle.
from which they can choose, and rarely would a household repeat
the same dish within a fortnight.
The staple food is rice which is the base for most meals. The most
commonly-used meats are pork and chicken, with a little beef.
Fresh fish and other seafood are plentiful and very popular. Fish
can be eaten fresh, salted, dried, fermented and in many other
ways. Vegetables too come in profuse variety and are
unbelievably cheap. Green leafy vegetables, shoots, roots and
young leaves are popular in salads and soups. Even pumpkins and
watermelons are used in soups.
Normally, breakfast in a Thai household would probably consist of
a lightly boiled egg or rice soup, followed by 'ba ton ko' which are
crisp, hollow, fried roots, often dipped in condensed milk. Lunch is
likely to feature one of many different sorts of noodles available;
and perhaps, dumplings made from flour and sago with a savory
filling. The main meal of the day is usually taken early in the
evening, with rice as the base for the accompanying dishes such
as curried meat, fish, vegetables and noodles. Other savory
concoctions generally called 'kap khoa' are prepared with great
care and add to the main course. Sweet meats and dishes and
fresh fruits, complete the meal. A glass of water is the usual drink
taken with the meal.
In Thailand, people virtually eat all day long as it is very
convenient to buy snacks. Food vendors station themselves
outside offices during the day and outside cinemas at night. Other
vendors ride bicycles or motorcycles peddling their wares. When
traveling by train, the most outstanding feature of the journey is
the rush of food vendors every time the train stops at a station.
They offer drinks, sweets and even hot dishes like rice and
chicken. However, these vendors are slowly disappearing as
commuters are more careful about the food they eat.
Thais do not customarily mix everything into one plate, but take
one serving at a time, to be eaten before proceeding to the next.
Meals are eaten with a fork and spoon. Noodles are often taken in
Chinese fashion with chopsticks.
SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
ENGLISH LESSON PLAN
TEACHER: Hassan Basarally
CLASS:
5L
ANTICIPATED DIFFICULTY:
Students may find it difficult
paraphrase sentences using quantifiers instead of statistics
TECHNOLOGIES AND RESEARCH RESOURCES:
White board, markers
Laptop, projector
Copies of CSEC English A January 2010 Section A
Copies of Using Quantifiers worksheet
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
ASSESSMENT
to
(CLASSIFICATION)
Students will / should be able to:
Formative
Summative
Students will complete the
summary from CSEC English A
January 2010
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: The teacher asks the students to carefully read
the following sentences on the board: The amount of students
passing English was 62% this term and 50% last term. They did
well in exams, for example in story writing, summary writing and
comprehension. The teacher then asks the students to rewrite the
sentences without the statistics and in the shortest way possible
while preserving the meaning.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
1. The teacher reads some of the
responses from the set induction and
asks the students to explain why they
choose to omit or change certain parts
of the sentences.
2. The teacher provides a word list of
some words that will indicate the use
of examples in writing:
For example, like, to illustrate, etc.
3. The teacher provides some examples
of sentences with examples on the
board and re writes the first one.
4. Students are told to work in pairs and
complete the remaining sentences.
When completed each pair reads their
response aloud to the class.
5. The teacher provides another word list
of words that can be used to
substitute statistics in a passage.
6. The teacher distributes copies of the
Using Quantifiers handout and told to
work in groups to complete it. The
teacher will complete the first
sentence in the worksheet as an
example.
7. The teacher goes to each group and
provides feedback to their responses.
8. The teacher shows the passage from
CSEC English A January 2010 on the
projector on the whiteboard and
distributes copies of the passage.
9. Individual students are asked to come
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening and responding
Word list
Modelling
Pair work
Word List
Group work/Modelling
CLOSURE: The students are asked to list the things that are omitted when
writing a summary.
applying this to a complete summary writing task. They were able to omit
the majority of statistics and examples but still left some in the summary.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Using Quantifiers
Use quantifiers from the list below to rewrite the passage.
MORE THAN, LESS THAN, DOUBLED, REDUCED, INCREASED, HALVED
The amount of murders in Trinidad and Tobago for the year 2011 was 342.
For the year 2012, the number was 4500. Police sources said that the
amount of persons convicted for serious crimes in the country was 50 for the
year 2011, compared to 25 in the year 2012. The amount of robberies is also
a cause of serious concern in Trinidad and Tobago. During the year 2011,
there were 570 reported cases. For the year, 2012 there are 1020 cases
reported to the police. However, there has been some improvement when it
comes to car thefts. For the year 2011, 460 vehicles are stolen and in 2012
there were 320 reports.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5L
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES
(CLASSIFICATION)
ASSESSMENT
Formative
1.
Identify the authors purpose in text
(to persuade, to inform, to entertain and to
explain). (cognitive)
2.
Differentiate the authors purpose
from persuasive techniques used in the
text. (cognitive)
3.
Understand how the authors purpose
affects the content of the text. (affective)
Summative
Students will complete the
summary from CSEC English A
P02 January 2013
PROCEDURE
SET INDUCTION: The teacher writes the following words on the
board: entertain, persuade, inform and asks the students to
explain the difference between them.
TEACHING
STRATEGIES/METHODS/ACTIVITIES
11.
The teacher uses the students
responses from the set induction and
tabulates the differences between the
terms. The students take down the
table in their notebooks.
12.
The teacher asks the students
to formulate some questions that they
would ask themselves to find out if a
piece of writing is entertaining,
informative or persuasive.
13.
Students are given the Authors
Purpose Graphic Organiser and their
attention is drawn to the questions on
the graphic organiser.
14.
The teacher divides the class
into 3 groups and distributes the
Authors Purpose Worksheet.
Students are instructed to complete
the activity and prepare reasons for
their answers.
15.
Students present their answers
and reasons for their selection.
16.
The teacher distributes CSEC
English A P02 January 2013 to the
students. Students are told to use the
Authors Purpose Graphic Organsier
to individually determine the writers
intention and write down reasons to
support their answer.
17.
The teacher visits individual
students and provides feedback.
LEARNING
STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES
Listening and responding
Graphic organiser
Word list
Speaking
Writing
CLOSURE: Three students are given a slip of paper with one of the writers
purposes, the student must explain what the term given means and how it is
different from the others.
SUPERVISORS COMMENTS:
Authors Purpose
To Persuade
Did the author try to make me laugh?
(Entertain)
To Inform
To Entertain
Authors Purpose
Instructions: Write the authors purpose (to inform, to persuade, to entertain)
for the extracts below.
1. It was a glorious morning in Alabama. The sun was shining through the
trees. Alan couldn't wait to find his fishing pole and call his friend Sam to go
fishing. They had a great time on these early morning fishing trips. They took
their dogs with them and the dogs would swim in the lake while they fished.
It was so funny to watch those dogs paddle around the lake.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________
2. The Underground Railroad was a secret organization which helped slaves
escape to freedom. Many slaves were able to escape because of the
conductors and station masters. The northern states were free states and
slaves were free once they arrived in the north. Secret codes and signals
were used to identify the conductors and station masters.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? ____________________________
3. The Slim-O-Matic will cause you to lose pounds and inches from your body
in one month. This amazing machine helps you to exercise correctly and
provides an easy video to show you the proper way to exercise. Send $75.99
and begin exercising today.
What is the author's purpose of this writing? ___________________________
Appendix 6
Pre-test Samples: GIST Method
Appendix 7
Student Questionnaire: GIST Method
Appendix 8
Appendix 9
Student Journals