Word Cloud – Comparing Two Passages

Before Reading Activity

How it is Used:

Word clouds are visually appealing arrangements of the words in a text. The cloud gives size prominence to words that appear more frequently in the text. There are several word cloud generator sites:

abcya.com

wordle.com

tagxedo.com

tagul.com

worditout.com

To use a word cloud as a before reading strategy to compare two passages and/or two authors:

  1. Choose two passages that students will be comparing and contrasting. Introduce the authors of the passages, but do not give the students the passages.(Example: campaign speeches from President Obama and JFK).
  1. Generate a word cloud for each passage. Either project them on the overhead/Promethean board or give each student copies of the word clouds. Ask students to use their prior knowledge about both authors as well as the words in the word clouds to predict which author wrote each piece.
  1. Collins Type II writing – ask students to respond to the following prompt (or write a similar prompt):
  • Based on your knowledge of both authors, who do you think wrote each piece? Use specific examples of words from the word cloud to support your response. Keep in mind that the larger the word, the more often it appears in the passage.
  1. Student-centered full class discussion: Ask students to share their responses, allowing students to choose only one word at a time to defend their response. This can lead to a lively debate.
  2. This strategy activates students’ prior knowledge and gives the teacher data on students’ prior knowledge of the authors and subject of the passages.
  1. Have the students read the passages. Use whole group, small group, partner, or independent reading methods such as:
  • Whole Group:
  • Popcorn
  • Round robin
  • Proficient reader (teacher?) reads passage aloud and students follow along on their copies
  • Listen to a recording of the passage and students follow along on their copies
  • Small Group/Partner:
  • “Say Something” – Designate a stopping point for reading. Have students read to the stopping point and then “say something” about the text to their partner. Continue, allowing the groups to choose the stopping points.
  • Paired summarizing – working in pairs, one partner reads a paragraph or a section and then gives a summary. Then the other partner reads the next paragraph or section and gives a summary.
  • Small group round robin
  • Small group popcorn
  • Assign reading roles – each group member has a role (reader, highlighter, note taker, summarizer, etc.)
  • Focus areas – each group is assigned to a different area of focus (main idea, author’s purpose, text organization, etc. After reading, the group reports on their area of focus.)
  • Independent:
  • Students read silently to a certain point (example-end of the page) and then discuss the text
  • Students read entire passage silently
  1. Add words from the word cloud to your classroom’s word wall as appropriate.

Why it Works:

Such before reading strategies ease student comprehension of the passage, since they are activating their prior knowledge and reviewing what you have already taught about both authors.