Nonfiction Close Reading and Early Finishers

So, I'm settling into my middle school science home rather nicely.  I'm really loving this age group and this curriculum!  In the past few weeks, I've learned many new things about how the students think and learn.  Here are three that I decided needed addressing right away:

1.  Many students don't seem to want to "mix" reading and science.  They see them as two separate subjects that don't have anything to do with each other.  Uh, oh.  


2.  Students don't want to support their answers with the text or use it to do research.  Once again, doh!


3.  If students finish assignments early and others are still working, they want to distract the students that are still working.  Well, that one is the same for any grade level.


So.... I found some articles and books that are content-related that I will display in my classroom.  To go with them, I made some Nonfiction Close Reading Bookmarks.

The idea is to put page protectors over the text and annotate, then go back and clarify terms and ideas.  Finally, the student gives a one-sentence summary.

These bookmarks are part of an editable PowerPoint that includes:
~Directions on how to annotate the text using a page protector and dry-erase marker
~Directions that guide the student to read and reread the text 3 times
~Directions that guide the student to use a dictionary and/or ask for help with clarifying unknown terms and content
~Directions on how to summarize the text

I'm hoping this will encourage use of these strategies while we are reading the textbook, but also will enrich the students needing a challenge with additional text.

I'd love to hear how you keep your students engaged and ready to learn in science class!