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Transcript for “Comprehension: Finding the Topic” from Evidence-Based Reading Instruction videos – Best Practices in Action

TEACHER: OK.

Good morning, class.

STUDENTS: Good morning.

TEACHER: Thank you for moving to the tables.

I appreciate it.

We're going to move onto comprehension, like my agenda says over here.

Comprehension. Today we're going to be working on finding the topic.

OK.

Many of you uh, have expressed that you uh, need help in understanding paragraphs.

Yes?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: OK.

Well today we're going to be learning how to identify the topic.

Because really, in order to get the main idea of a paragraph, the first step you got to do is identify the topic.

OK.

Now what is a topic?

Basically, the topic is what something is about.

It's that simple.

What is this picture about?

Tell me the topic.

What is this paragraph about?

Tell me the topic.

What is this passage about?

Tell me the topic.

The topic is, what is this about.

So, let me show you what I do using a picture whenever I have to identify a topic.

So, I look at this picture, I look at this picture here, and I think, OK, well, hmm, the topic?

Well, what is this picture about?

Well this picture to me, I see a Christmas tree, I see presents, I see a fireplace.

OK.

Well, this, the topic of this picture to me is Christmas.

Christmas.

OK.

I see, that, it's not about the Christmas tree.

It's not about the presents.

The whole topic is Christmas.

OK.

So would you agree with me that this is, the topic is Christmas?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Yeah.

OK.

Somebody asks me what's this picture's about, usually in one word or in a couple of words, a phrase, I'll tell them, the topic of this picture is Christmas.

OK.

I feel good about this.

I don't feel, I don't feel like I'm doubting.

No, this is about Christmas.

Now, when you look at a picture, OK, you have to ask yourself the same question.

Well what is this picture about?

What is this picture about?

Let's do one together.

Can you guys help me do one together?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: OK.

Now if I take a look at this picture right here.

Can everybody see this picture?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Now if I take a look at this picture, huh, I see Come, Sit, Stay, Play.

I see a lot of cute dogs.

Actually my favorite is this one.

OK.

But I have to ask myself what, what is this topic about?

What would you say the topic of this picture is?

STUDENTS: Dogs.

TEACHER: Dogs.

Dogs. And thank you for giving me, giving it to me in just one simple word, OK.

Dogs.

Christmas.

And, dogs.

OK.

Can, can we do one together.

You, you guys, do you guys understand what the topic of these pictures, what I'm doing here?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Yes.

Alright.

Why don't we try in pairs figuring out what the topic of the next pictures are.

Now a paragraph has a lot of sentences, together, and they're all talking about one topic.

OK.

Let me show you what I do when I see a paragraph.

People throughout history have liked mustard.

Huh, I like mustard.

Mustard has been a popular spice in cooking for more than 5000 years.

I didn't know that.

OK.

A cookbook written in 3000 BC mentions mustard.

Wow, that's a long time ago.

Ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Greeks and Romans all used mustard.

The Spanish took it with them when they sailed to the New World.

Oh, OK.

Well, I keep, I keep seeing the word mustard, mustard, mustard, mustard.

OK.

You know, I think the topic of this paragraph, it's gotta be mustard.

It's gotta be mustard.

OK.

Now you guys, I could have said cooking.

I could have said spices.

I could have said ancient people.

But all of those would've been just small details of the story.

If somebody asks me, and they don't have time, what did you read about today?

I'll say mustard, OK.

Mustard.

Now what we're going to do is, we're going to do one together.

OK.

We're going to read a paragraph and we're going to identify what the topic is.

We're going to ask ourselves questions.

What is this about?

Okie dokie.

Now, can everybody see this?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Paris, France is one of the world’s most famous cities.

Alright, what would you say the topic of this paragraph is?

STUDENTS: Paris, France.

TEACHER: One more time.

STUDENTS: Paris, France.

TEACHER: OK.

Alright.

Good, good.

How did that feel?

Was that, was that good?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Was that comfortable?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Yeah.

Alright, good.

Any questions?

Any questions?

Now, what we're going to do, is we're going to separate into your comprehension groups and then you're going to try and uh, figure out, identify the topics for paragraphs at your particular groups.

Sound like a good idea?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Alright, so I'm going to be moving you guys around.

Alright, so you guys so we identified the topic of one paragraph.

Paris, France.

Very good.

Now, realistically what's going to happen is I'm going to give you an assignment and you're going to have to find the topic of not just one paragraph, but more than one paragraph.

In this case, four paragraphs.

So, what I'd like to show you is how I go about, in identifying the topic of each paragraph.

OK.

What you guys have in front of you is the passage on "The King of Beasts".

And as you can see I've numbered each paragraph.

One, Two, Three, Four.

OK, let me just demonstrate what I do.

I'm going to do paragraph one.

OK, and just go ahead and follow along with me, on the sheet in front of you.

Who is the king of beasts?

We all know the answer.

It is the lion.

It is the, it is the lion.

A male lions weighs from 350 to 400 pounds.

A few weigh up to 500 pounds.

Most males are about 9 feet long.

Huh.

That's from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

Most are about 3 1/2 feet tall.

So if I'm 5'9", to about 3 1/2 feet tall.

That is at the shoulders.

Females are smaller.

They weigh 250 to 300 pounds.

They are about 8 feet long.

They are about 8 feet long.

Lions live 20 to 25 years in a zoo.

How long in the jungle?

No one knows.

Alright.

Well, I have to figure out what the topic of this paragraph is.

Huh, and Mr. Verdin says that the topic of the paragraph is usually one word or a couple of words.

So, let me see.

Who is the king of the beasts?

We all know the answer.

It is a lion.

A male lion.

Well, it's talking about king of the beasts.

It's talking about a male lion.

It's talking about female lions as well.

So it's talking about male lions, female lions, king of the beasts, huh.

So if somebody asks me what did you read about in this first paragraph, I think I would say lions.

I think I would say lions.

Lions in general because it talks about male lions.

It also about, talks about female lions, so I'm going to go with, first paragraph is talking to me about lions.

I, I think I'm, I think I'm going to stick with lions.

OK.

Alright.

Did you all see what I did?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: OK.

I read it.

I asked myself questions.

I kinda just talked to myself a little bit, I'm not crazy.

And I talked to myself a little bit, identified the things that were being said.

And then I finally came up with, it's, I feel like, lions is what this paragraph is talking about.

OK.

Let's try paragraph two.

But this time, we're going to do it together.

Yes?

Let's try paragraph two, and we're going to do it together.

Help me out here, what do you guys think?

STUDENT: It's talking about the lions power.

TEACHER: It's talking about the lions power.

You know, that's what I, actually that's what I was thinking too.

It, it does talk about the, the paws and the claws.

It also talks about the teeth.

But both of those refer to the power the lion has.

STUDENT: About how powerful is the lion.

TEACHER: Same thing.

Same thing.

Very good Vlass.

You said, you said the same thing.

You said the same thing.

You just used different words.

OK, so can we all agree that the topic of this paragraph is the lions power?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: OK, good.

So, so far, our first paragraph is about lions in general.

The second paragraph is about the lions power.

OK.

Good, good.

Let's try the third paragraph you guys.

This time let's try the third paragraph.

We're going to do it again together.

If somebody were to ask you, what was the topic for paragraph three?

What would you say in a word, or in a couple of words?

What would you say?

STUDENT: Groups and prides.

TEACHER: Groups.

STUDENT: Prides.

TEACHER: Groups.

Well groups and prides, the same thing right?

STUDENTS: Yeah.

TEACHER: OK.

So why don't we call it prides, lion prides

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: OK, alright, that'll work.

Very good you guys, that's what I would say too.

Alright.

Now, one more.

Now this last one, I want you guys to do it on your own.

Ask yourself, what is this paragraph about?

What is this paragraph about?

In one word or in a couple of words.

Any, any ideas, any suggestions?

STUDENT: How the lion hunt.

TEACHER: How the lion hunts.

What did you say Jorge?

STUDENT: About the lions prey.

TEACHER: About the lions prey.

STUDENTS: The prey is for the lion or large prey though.

TEACHER: So the prey?

You're going back to prey?

Alright, now let me ask you this.

If. if you tell me that this paragraph is about the prey, is it only talking about the different types of animals?

STUDENTS: No.

TEACHER: It's only talking about animals?

STUDENTS: No. Something about, how it hunts.

TEACHER: How the lion hunts those animals, right.

Yes.

It does talk about the animals.

But the reason it talks about the animals is cuz it's going to talk about how it hunts the animal down.

Right.

So if I, OK, so given that new information, what can I put here for the topic of this paragraph?

STUDENT: How the lion hunts.

TEACHER: How the lion hunts.

Can I say lion hunting?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Would that be OK?

Lion hunting.

That includes the prey, that includes the animals.

Alright.

Good, good.

I agree.

Lion hunting,

Alright.

Good.

Good you guys.

Does this feel a little more comfortable?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: When you go and read a paragraph, and then I ask you, what is the topic of this paragraph?

Do you think you'll be able to do it?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Yes.

Feel comfortable doing it?

Yes?

Great.

Cuz now, I'm going to separate you and I'm going to put you guys into your own groups and you're going to prove to me what you just told me.

Yes.

We're going to practice some more but this time, at your own groups, at your own level.

Alright.

Sounds like a plan?

STUDENTS: Yes.

TEACHER: Alright.

Good.

So I'm going to move you guys around and we'll get started.

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