Reading & The trolley

Do Now:
Come up with the craziest phrase for UDL.  I was thinking about Undies for Dogs' on Lifeboats, but you will have something better than that, I am sure!

Today we are launching our reading for success project.  This year is all about increasing our reading skills to prepare us:

• for NCEA, 
• for reading for apprenticeships, 
• for reading for dealing lawyers and the government and other people with very long forms. 
• for reading for pleasure 
• for reading for success in the business world 
• for reading skills for university.

We all have different thoughts and experiences around reading.  Some of you have told me that you hate reading!  I know that in order to help you all increase your reading skills, I will need to get to know your reading skills and interests really well and find reading texts that you are interested in.

Today Mrs Newton and I are going to spend some time with each of you, listening to you tell us about your reading experiences in each of your subjects and how we (Ms Quick, Mrs Newton, your teachers, the whole school) can help you enjoy reading and get better at it.

What else will we do?
We will each read the short story by Patricia Grace called "The Trolley."  Then we can choose from a series of activities below.  Everyone must complete at least one activity.  People who finish more than one activity to a high standard will receive a well done.

Activity one: Make a podcast of yourself reading the story aloud.  This can then be used to help other people who would prefer to listen to a story rather than read it to themselves.  You may want to work in a pair to make a good quality podcast.

Activity two: Create a set of instructions for how to make a trolley.  Use the same tools and materials as Tania did in the short story.  You can write the instructions, to go with your pictures, or you can record yourself explaining how to build the trolley.

Activity three: What was Tania's biggest worry about Christmas?  What evidence is in the story to help you work this out?  Imagine you are Hoani or Miria, and you are writing about your Christmas morning.  Tell the story of the trolley using creative ideas and vocabulary to make the story interesting.