“CLUNKERS AND LINKS”

This approach is designed for the ‘at or above’ level, independent reader, although, many of the strategies can be used with other levels with more scaffolding. It actually is a combination of several reading strategies designed to promote thoughtful, metacognitive reading when reading from grade level texts, especially in the content areas.

Step 1: Pull group together and let them know they will be reading a grade level piece (example: a chapter from the social studies text about the American Revolution). Ask them if they have any predictions of ideas, concepts, or vocabulary they think they will find in that chapter. Record all responses on chart paper. For more detail instructions see the DRTA instructions.

Step 2: Introduce “clunkers and links”. These are sticky notes to put a question mark on if they find a word that stumps them (hence, clunker, it makes you go “clunk” when you’re reading). Clunkers can be words that you cannot decode, or can decode but do not know what it means, or you know one meaning but it doesn’t fit in this situation.

Likewise, if they find a word or concept that they had predicted, or have read about or heard about previously, they put a star on the sticky note and put it by the word. This is encouraging them to make connections and links between what they are reading and prior knowledge and build metacognition. This is also known as ‘text to self, text to world, text to text”. Part of the metacognition is that if I think that this chapter is going to be about Abraham Lincoln and I start reading about G. Washington, I need to realign my thinking and recognize that there is something missing, some piece of information that I need to be successful here.

Step 3: Introduce and model partner SQ3R, with clunkers and links. We usually do this with only the first page or so. Process clunkers and links from that page. Go back to predicted words/concepts you had put on chart paper and revise predictions. Send students off to read and fill in the SQ3R worksheet together.

Step 4: At a later time, call that group back for a discussion of their clunkers, links, and SQ3R. Do any word study or vocabulary work here. With links, encourage further reading in the areas that students have put stars by. This is an excellent time to have more challenging reading in this subject for your gifted students. The SQ3R is optional and we usually don’t use it below fourth grade.

Brechtel,

Project GLAD ‘04

Turtle Travels
By Gary Miller
From the start, what happens to these turtles depends on the environment. The temperature of the sand determines whether sea turtles hatch as male or female. The sand here on Costa Rica's Tortuguero Beach is warm. So more of the hatchlings will be female.
One of the turtles begins to stir inside her shell. She tears at it with her caruncle. That's a sharp point on her beak. Still buried beneath the sand, she breaks free from her shell. Soon, the whole nest is alive with motion.
The baby turtle uses her flippers to climb up and up. It can take more than a day to reach the surface. She moves around, even stepping on top of her nest mates. Their movements help push sand toward the bottom of the nest. This gives the tiny turtles a boost to the top. All at once, the turtles free themselves from the sand. /
Baby Turtles or hatchlings use their flippers to climb in the sand.
Saving Sea Turtles
This sea turtle and her hatchlings face many threats.
Not all of them are natural. People hunt and eat sea turtles
and their eggs. Many sea turtles are injured by accident,
caught in fishing nets or cut by boats' propellers. Turtles
also are threatened by water pollution, including plastic and
trash. Fortunately, many people are working to help sea
turtles survive. The Caribbean Conservation Corporation (CCC) works to protect sea turtles in Costa Rica and in other parts of the Caribbean. The group puts electronic tags on the turtles and uses satellites to track where they go. You can keep track of where the tagged sea turtles go, too!
Source Details: National Geographic Explorer, April, 2010