GIST“Helping Students explore tough text, to read and

summarize a given text”

By: Lindsey Benson

Identify appropriate text for Students

• The teacher should identify whether or not they want their students to read and summarize paragraph by paragraph or section by section.

• In this case, each group will summarize paragraph by paragraph, which is indicated by group number and color.

• The students will know their color and number by place cards placed on their desks and also the text will be mark with group numbers and colors.

Demonstrate the Strategy

• Teacher should discuss with the students their prior knowledge of what “GIST” means

• The teacher should then ask the students to summarize the articles title that is written on the board.

• Teacher should discuss that they will be working in groups to create a summary of the material being read.

Teacher DemonstrationWrite “GIST” on board and ask students what they think it means! Have Class summarize articles title!

Student Activities

• Once you have finished the demonstration on the board, explain to the students what they will be doing as a group in this activity.

• In this case, the students will be reading the passage silently to themselves and then read it out loud individually as a group.

• When reading silently students should be writing key words down that will later help them summarize their given paragraph as a group.

Grouping the students

• Divide students into cooperative learning groups.• Try to pair ELL students with same language

background students.• Each group should contain an English speaker

and reader.• Main purpose of this activity is to ensure

students have a clear understanding of text. This can be done through their first language and then translated into English.

Student Grouping

• The students for this activity were placed in groups of 4 and in one case a group of 2. The students knew their group number and color by the cards placed on their tables.

• The numbers and colors of each group were also placed next to the paragraph that they were to read and summarize as a group.

Visual Aids for Student Grouping

Group color and number indicated on table place cards!

Group color and number indicated on text!

Remind Students to read paragraph by paragraph

Students reading and summarizing individually

Read and Compare Summary Sentences

• Once each student has read their groups paragraph silently and written down key words/points, all the groups time to work together to discuss their key words and to form a summary sentence as a group.

• This time provides the students an effective review of the passage they read and will give the students a chance to clear up any misconceptions they might have about the material they have read.

Students Working Together

Assess student progress and understanding

• The group work will give the teacher a chance to move around the classroom and listen to group conversations.

• This time will also give the teacher a chance to take notes on each of the students interactions while the students are working in groups and will allow the teacher to have student samples to put into each of the student’s portfolios’.

Write each groups key words and summary sentence on the board.

At the end of group work time use the board and direct instruction to go over each groups summary sentences and key words with the whole class to ensure that the class has a true understanding of the text. Also take any student questions that may come up during this time.

GIST

• “GIST” or generating interaction between Schemata and text is a very helpful tool when students are required to read new information. Having the students work in groups when summarizing text will spark an open discussion about the material being taught and will clear up any misconceptions they may have about the material. Allowing the students to work in groups will also make this activity more fun, stimulates different parts of the brain, and will make it more interesting for students.

Go and explore with your students

• You can use this strategy in every classroom and with every subject. Do not be afraid of exploring new text with your students and pushing their current knowledge of subject being taught. Use the “GIST” strategy to create a fun, cooperative, and learning environment. GO AND EXPLORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!