Journey North Instructional Strategies

Monarch Butterflies

Forty Best-practices Instructional Activities

Creative Response

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40 Best-practices
Instructional Activities

Procedures: After reading an informational selection, students creatively summarize the facts by writing and presenting the information in a campaign speech, newspaper article, editorial, TV news segment or newsbyte, letter of appeal, or scientific report.

Examples: Using facts collected about habitat loss, invite students to write editorials to local newspapers. After reading about historic moments in migration, encourage students to spread the word by writing “Cover Stories” or “Late Breaking News.” After reading about the underwater ecosystems of manatees, students paint a mural that depicts this habitat. After researching cause/effect relationships of various weather systems on migratory journeys, students “air” the For the Birds weather forecast.

Variations: Invite students to respond to expository selections by presenting the information creatively; in expressive, descriptive, and persuasive writing, or in dramatic and artistic productions.

Reading Strategies: Identify Main Ideas and Support Details, Summarize Information, Paraphrase Ideas, Synthesize Information, Build Vocabulary, and Draw Conclusions