Critically Thinking About Text

Here are two activities that I used with my students to get them thinking critically about texts.

The first introduces to the art of debating, taking a point of view as the reader based on your own personal experiences, values and connecting these to the information in the text.

The second uses both information in the story and creativity to change the ending of the fairytale.

My students found both activities extremely motivating and the activities created brilliant opportunities to talk and listen to the viewpoint of others. 

Debating; What Should Jack Do?

1. What is a debate? We talked about the election and how the different parties had to tell the people of New Zealand why they should vote for them. We discussed that in a debate you share your point of view and give a reason. 

2. I then asked if the students thought that Jake should give the cow to the man in exchange for the magic bean or take the cow to the market like his mother asked?

3. I got the students to sit at opposite sides of the mat depending on whether they were 'for' giving the cow to the man, or 'against'. Those students undecided sat in the middle with me.

4. I then told the children it was their job to get me and the other students to move to their side of the mat by giving their argument with justification. I also gave the expectation that they would need to take turns to talk.

5. The debate went backwards and forwards, students listened to each other and even added on to what others were saying and responding to others on the opposing team. 

6. Once all students had their turn at sharing their arguments. I said that I was still undecided as everyone's arguments were fantastic. I then asked them to write at least two different arguments for or against and that I would then choose the winner.

Talk about motivated learners!!!! This was the most animated, vocal and excited I have ever seen them during literacy. The oral language, turn-taking and listening were incredible as was their creative and critical ideas.

I think Jack should listen to his mum because the man must be lying. That bean is fake! It must be fake because he (the man) just wants the cow to eat it.

By Rakeena

I think Jack should give the cow to the man because it (the bean) looks like a plant and it is green (referring to a picture of the beanstalk later in the book)! I think he can sell the bean to customers at the market and the customers can give the money to Jack and he could go home and give the money to mum.

By Virginia in response to Rakeena's argument.

Change The Ending To This Fairytale

Using the sentence starter the students had to write a different ending to the story.

1. I began by reading the big book to the class, stopping at this page. The children had read this text many times over the week so the students were very familiar with the plot. 

2. What if we changed the ending to this story. What if something different happened next? Turn and talk, if you could change the story what would happen?

3. The students then went off to write their endings using the story starter ... 'He crept inside the castle...'.

Jack crept inside the castle and saw a giant sleeping with a goose. The goose laid a gold egg. Inside the egg was a dragon in the egg. Jack went to get the goose and the egg. he went down and down the beanstalk. He went to the market and sold the goose and the egg. Jack got some money. he went to the shop and got some food. he went back home.

By Toko