Article of the Week
Each week, students are assigned an article to read that is related to the current unit of study. They are expected to
1) Show evidence of close reading (See: "How to Do a Close Reading")
2)
Highlight and annotate text (See: "How to Annotate")
3) Discuss confusions and revelations in small groups (classwork)
4) Respond with a 1 page reflection summary or argument
Format of AoW will depend on the time frame you have in class, this format works well for short 45 minute periods
Sample Timeline
Monday - introduce the article, spend 15 minutes to frame the article, related it to the current content. Optionally, you may allocate a larger amount of time so students can read the article in class, particularly if the content of the article is difficult
Tuesday - Thur - students read and annotate the article on their own time, allocate 20 minutes on one of these days to have small group discussions. (You may want to check that annotations have been done to ensure students have read the article at this point)
Friday - Annotations and Reflection paper due
Reflection Summary Guidelines
1-3 paragraphs that includes
- Name of the article, date and source, followed by a 1-2 sentence summary of what the article is about
- A quote, specific detail, or example from the article followed by your explanation of why it is important and what it means to you (why did you choose that detail)
- An explanation of what the author hopes to impart on the readers, and why it is significant to the current topic of study
- Personal thoughts and opinions about the article
For beginning students, you may want to use this framing guide to help them write the summary.
AoW and Technology
If your students are using Edmodo or other content management systems, articles can be assigned and discussed asynchronously online. Annotations for articles can be submitted using Diigo.
I recommend at least trying an online discussion, you may find that normally quiet students offer very insightful comments when they do not have to speak in front of others.
Article Sources
There are many places on the web to find science articles that relate to your unit.
For advanced students, you may want to eventually transition to scientific journals
Open Access Journals can be found at PLOS One
Student Handouts
Annotation Tips | Article Reflection Summary Guidelines
Assessment Rubrics
(also as printable labels)
| Exceeds (3) | Meets (2) | Below (1) | Not Evident (0) | |
| Establishes context and big idea of the article or the goal of the article | ||||
| Includes specific, relevant details and expands upon that detail with connecting thoughts and ideas | ||||
| Includes personal content, opinions or connections to self | ||||
| Demonstrates proper grammar, punctuation and style (turned in on time) | ||||
| Total out of 10 | ||||
Annotations Only
5 pts: A majority of the annotations are thoughtful, insightful, exhibits deep understanding of content,
4 pts: Most annotations are thoughtful, insightful, exhibits deep understanding of content
3 pts: Some annotations are thoughtful and show that student understands content and made an effort to read closely
2 pts: Very few annotations, at least 1-2 show that student has a rudimentary understanding of the content
1 pt: Very few annotations, irrelevant annotations, it is not apparent that student read the article
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Common Core Standards: English Language Arts Literacy - Writing in History, Science, and Technical Subjects
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.