Is Reading Dangerous?

I found an excellent resource on EduGAINS called Critical Literacy: Is Reading Dangerous? It goes through a sample lesson for teaching critical literacy of a poem, but I'm going to outline how it could be applied to the reading of persuasive articles. The idea of the lesson plan is to discuss how reading could be ‘dangerous’ and includes strategies for differentiated instruction, small group and large group activities, a rubric, and curriculum connections.

Activity Outline

The majority of the lesson plan would apply directly to the critical literacy of a persuasive article with a few minor exceptions. For example, the lesson plan begins with critical learning, and curriculum expectations (see below) which would remain as they are for a persuasive article. 

Literacy Gains: Transforming Instructional Practice Supports – Grade 7 language (N.D.) Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/1LSvhua

Minds On

Literacy Gains: Transforming Instructional Practice Supports – Grade 7 language (N.D.) Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/1LSvhua

Literacy Gains: Transforming Instructional Practice Supports – Grade 7 language (N.D.) Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/1LSvhua

Action

Literacy Gains: Transforming Instructional Practice Supports – Grade 7 language (N.D.) Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/1LSvhua

Consolidation

Literacy Gains: Transforming Instructional Practice Supports – Grade 7 language (N.D.) Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/1LSvhua

Curriculum Connection

1.7: analyse a variety of texts, both simple and complex, and explain how the different elements in them contribute to meaning and influence the reader’s reaction (page 127)
1.8: evaluate the effectiveness of both simple and complex texts based on evidence from the texts (page 128)
1.9:  identify the point of view presented in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts; give evidence of any biases they may contain; and suggest other possible perspectives (page 128)
Conclusion

I particularly like the critical learning overview; the goals are specific and attainable for one lesson. I've connected them with the Ontario curriculum below, and included an extra specific expectation that could also be included if one is feeling ambitious. 

The lesson plan then goes on to discuss evaluation which wouldn't change based on the topic, so I will continue to the teaching part of the lesson plan (page 2) which follows the 3-part lesson plan style or gradual release model. 

I would change the guiding question from "does knowing something make you responsible for it" to "how can literary techniques change your opinion on a subject?" This changes the focus of the lesson since it's no longer on a poem but rather a relevant, social justice article.  

The Minds On part of the lesson I would leave as a think-pair-share activity with the anticipation guide included (page 6), but I would change the opening discussion to one about previous learning regarding persuasive writing. 

The action part of this lesson plan is brilliant, so I would leave it as is as well. The obvious change is to change the item being read to the social justice article and include images relevant to that topic. 

As part of the consolidation the lesson plan suggests using a value line which I think is a great idea. It gets students up and moving and could be very memorable, so they would be more likely to recall the lesson later in association with the value line. 

As one might expect this activity is part of the reading strand, and addresses the first overall expectation to read and demonstrate understanding of a variety of literacy texts, using a range of strategies to construct meaning (page 127). There are four specific expectations within that overall expectation that could be assessed during this lesson (listed below), but depending on the size of the class one may want to only focus on 1-2 of them in order to effectively make an assessment. 

1.5: develop and explain interpretations of increasingly complex or difficult texts using stated and implied ideas from the texts to support their interpretations (page 127)

In addition to the lesson components, this resource also includes guiding questions (which one would have to change to reflect the article being studied), materials list, rubric, AFL notes, and ideas to be included in success criteria. It represents a wonderful resource for both newbie teachers looking for something more detailed (and some might say a scaffolded resource) and experienced teachers looking for new ideas beyond the typical read-aloud followed by independent work.