Author: Nutt, Tara

RI.7.3

You have a choice on topics for this one. Choose 1 & consult the text resources listed under it.
The experiences of adults/parents vs. the experiences of kids
—> Chapters 1, 3, 4
Lifestyle of the average American before the Great Depression vs. during the Great Depression
—> Chapters 2, 4
People’s experience with the Great Depression in cities vs. in rural/country areas
—> Chapters 2, 5

First, think about how you want your compare/contrast infographic to look. That could affect how you take notes for the reading. Use a format similar to the one below (don’t leave off the 1st column!).

Category/Topic	What it’s like for one	What it’s like for the other

Hint: copy page #’s as you’re taking notes so you don’t have to look them up later!

Plan—consider layout, etc…
Sketch the big compartments
Give headings and subheadings
Make notes for which information will go where
Plan for icons/graphics—what kind can you use? Where can they go?
Remember to plan your infographic with a purpose—what message are you communicating?
Give it a creative title

RI.7.3

You have a choice on topics for this one. Choose 1 & consult the text resources listed under it.
Causes of the Great Depression & its effects on the average American
—> Chapters 1, 2
Kids working adult jobs—what were the causes? What were the effects?
—> Chapters 3, 4
Migrant workers—what caused them to migrate? What were the effects?
—> Chapter 5

Topic
Causes	Effects

Hint: write down page #’s as you’re taking notes so you don’t have to look them up later!
Hint: Try to make the ideas on the left match up with ideas on the right.

Plan—consider layout, etc…
Sketch the big compartments
Give headings and subheadings
Make notes for which information will go where
Plan for icons/graphics—what kind can you use? Where can they go?
Remember to plan your infographic with a purpose—what message are you communicating?
Give it a creative title

RI.7.2, RI.7.5

First, read the example & all the notes that I put together for you using Chapter 6—on the back.
Then, you will do the same with these chapters. Divide & conquer in your large group.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3 OR Chapter 4
Chapter 8

Step 1: Read the text
Step 2: As you’re reading, use sticky notes to mark important sentences/paragraphs that stand out to you
Step 3: Narrow your sticky notes down to the absolute most important 3-4
Step 4: Craft an introductory sentence (see my example on the back for a format); this is a broad overview of what’s going on in the chapter and often makes the title make more sense. See words in the box for possible verbs to make your introductory sentence engaging.
Step 5: For your 3-4 central idea statements, put the sentence/paragraph into your own words—1 sentence for each one
THEN—Discuss & share summaries with others in your group so that everybody understands and has a summary for all 4 chapters.

Plan—consider layout, etc…
Sketch the big compartments
Give headings and subheadings
Make notes for which information will go where
Plan for icons/graphics—what kind can you use? Where can they go?
Remember to plan your infographic with a purpose—what message are you communicating?
Give it a creative title

Structure of a Non-Fiction Text Summary
Topic sentence—big picture, what’s going on in the text?
3 sentences that state the most important ideas in the text
Summary of Chapter 6
Chapter 6 of Russell Freedman’s book Children of the Great Depression— ”Boxcar Children” - tells about children who were homeless and rode the rails looking for work, food, and shelter. A variety of circumstances like unemployment, poverty, or even an itch for adventure led to the decision to hop trains to survive. When they weren’t on riding in boxcars, these kids wandered through the country on foot and by hitchhiking, and they always knew the best places to find food and shelter. Living conditions were often hard for these kids, but many of them knew how to get by just fine—partly because of how many people were willing to help them out by giving them money, a place to sleep, something to eat, or warm clothes.

RI.7.3, RI.7.5

You’re going to skim the WHOLE BOOK today—so refresh yourself on what it means to “skim and scan” vs. reading every word.
Decide at your table if you’ll work together or separately. If you’re going to work together, then divide and conquer the text and share findings when you’re finished.
Skim the text until you come across a date—month, day, OR year. See below for what to do for each date you find.

Date	What happened

Date	What happened

Hint: set your paper up in 4 columns, so you can make 2 sets of these on the same page. You’ll probably have a lot of entries in the chart, but none will be very long.
Hint: Write down page #’s in (parentheses) as you’re going, just in case you need them later!

Plan—consider layout, etc…
Sketch the big compartments
Give headings and subheadings
Make notes for which information will go where
Plan for icons/graphics—what kind can you use? Where can they go?
Remember to plan your infographic with a purpose—what message are you communicating?
Give it a creative title

What you read today depends on what topic you choose to use for your list writing.
*Use your text features—like chapter titles—and reading skills—like skimming and scanning—to find ALL portions of the book that will help you gather information for your list writing.
*Outside research is a possibility—use the Internet and only credible sources.

Popular types of entertainment during the Great Depression
Key people of the Great Depression
Options for kids whose parents were out of work
Worst things about living in a Hooverville
Ways the government tried to help during the Great Depression
Ways the government actually helped during the Great Depression
Charities that helped people
Why Eleanor Roosevelt is famous
Photographers who documented the Great Depression
CHOOSE YOUR OWN TOPIC—BE CREATIVE! :)

Choose a topic & then choose a number—at least 5
Do your reading & research. As you’re going, write down possible items that COULD go on the list
For each option, take notes for information that could go in the short paragraph—write down page #’s/websites so you know how to cite this information later!
Narrow your options down to just how many you’ll use—remember to pick the MOST IMPORTANT 5, 7, whatever number you decided on earlier.

Plan—consider layout, etc…
Sketch the big compartments
Give headings and subheadings
Make notes for which information will go where
Plan for icons/graphics—what kind can you use? Where can they go?
Remember to plan your infographic with a purpose—what message are you communicating?
Give it a creative title - make it more interesting than the topic you chose from the list!