Reading Reaches Into Thin Air

This article is about an integrated unit using a nonfiction book as the unifying component. It highlights the reading strategies that students practiced as they read the book "Into Thin Air... See More

This article is about an integrated unit using a nonfiction book as the unifying component. It highlights the reading strategies that students practiced as they read the book "Into Thin Air" by J. Krakauer. One reading strategy was to practice a form of interactive reading where students were required to underline important text parts and then write in the margins of the book using sticky notes when needed. The margin notes were to include questions and connections along with any other thoughts the reader had. The article explained how the teacher might model this strategy by reading and thinking aloud as well as marking in his/her own text as the notes were being displayed on a screen via a document camera. The science connection was made through hands-on investigations that helped students understand some of the science concepts highlighted in the story. One activity explored why it is harder to breathe at higher altitudes. Another activity was called "Hail in a Test Tube". There is an extensive list of resources at the end of the article that includes access to the activities mentioned above.

Nice article that incorporates reading

The article describes how to use "Into Thin Air", a book about climbing Mount Everest to incorporate reading strategies with learning science. Students work with the text and outside artic... See More

The article describes how to use "Into Thin Air", a book about climbing Mount Everest to incorporate reading strategies with learning science. Students work with the text and outside articles to learn science concepts related to climbing Mount Everest. My only wish was that more description was provided of the science activities students did in conjunction with the text. References were provided for teachers who wish to follow up.