Before After Reading Activities Teaching Focus Have students locate the ending punctuation for sentences in the book Count how many times a period question mark or exclamation point is used Which one is used the most What is the purpose for each ending punctuation mark Practice reading these sentences with appropriate expression Before Reading Building Academic Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Before reading a book it is important to set the stage for your child or student by using pre-reading strategies This will help them develop their vocabulary increase their reading comprehension and make connections across the curriculum 1 Look at the cover of the book What will this book be about 2 What do you already know about the topic 3 Let’s study the Table of Contents What will you learn about 4 What would you like to learn about this topic Do you think 5 Use a reading journal to write about your knowledge of this 6 Read the book 7 8 After reading the book complete the activities below In your reading journal record what you learned about the topic and your response to the book topic Record what you already know about the topic and what you hope to learn about the topic you might learn about it from this book Why or why not in the book’s chapters Content Area Vocabulary Read the list What do these words mean chemical coal electricity energy fuel radiation solar speed thermal transferred After Reading Comprehension and Extension Activity After reading the book work on the following questions with your child or students to check their level of reading comprehension and content mastery 1 What kinds of energy are there Summarize 2 Why do people need to use more renewable energy Infer 3 What are some examples of things people use energy to do Asking Questions 4 What would you miss the most if you didn’t have electricity Text to Self Connection 5 Why is the sun’s energy important Asking Questions Extension Activity What are some ways you can conserve energy in your home and community Design a poster that encourages people to save energy and gives them tips on how to do so See if a local business will display your poster
Making Things Happen How long can you run or sing or even stay awake before you get tired No one can do these activities forever Eventually you run out of energy Energy makes things happen Energy is the ability to move and do work 4
Energy is around us all the time It’s in sunlight in wind in our homes and our bodies People use energy to do all kinds of work from driving cars to heating homes Explaining Energy Scientists who study the physical world including energy are called physicists A great physicist of the 20th century was Albert Einstein 1879 1955 He explained how energy works in the universe 5
