CTry Talk to the Text (A Reading Strategy)

Talk to the Text

Today I started these intensive reading activities using the dive-deep into the text approach - talk to the text. I started with a legend as a text - 'The origin of Taro and Authority in Samoa'. Following is the plan.

Text: The Origin of Taro and Authority in Samoa (Legend)
Outcomes:  To deconstruct a text using ‘talk to the text’ strategy To learn new vocabulary To learn how to use these reading strategies - Scanning & skimming - Prediction - Use of prior knowledge - chunking sentences & paragraphs - Summarising To express an opinion as an output writing activity
Language skills to develop
Listening	Speaking	Reading	Writing
Listen to teacher reading the text	Discussion while reading the text
Activities
Instruction: After diving into the text, do the following activities

  

The Origin Of Taro And Authority in Samoa. 

Tagaloalagi and Uluifuga lived in Heaven. Amuamuia and Finatele sent their son Vaea'i up to heaven to ask Tagaloalagi for some water and also the authority to govern the country. 

When the boy arrived in Heaven, Uluifuga asked him why he had come; what is your business. The boy explained the reason for his visit. Uluifuga told him to remain quiet and not to speak to Tagaloalagi when he returned from his plantation. 

Tagaloalagi returned and asked for the reason of the boy's presence. Uluifuga explained that the boy had come on his parent's business and Tagaloalagi asked what the business was and Uluifuga said that the parents of the boy wanted some taro heads to plant on earth.

Tagaloalagi told the boy to return to earth and he would send some taro heads by his own boys later on. Vaea'i returned to earth. Tagaloalagi remarked to his wife that he doubted that the boy had come for taro heads and believed that he had come to get the authority to rule on earth.

Uluifuga then asked if Tagaloalagi would do as he was asked and Tagaloalagi promised that he would. He ordered some of his sons to bring some taro heads and to conceal them between their legs. Tagaloalagi said he was in great fear that what he was about to do would become known by other members of his family. He explained to the boys that Tagaloatea would proceed first to earth and he would be followed by Moefano and Imoa. He asked them to be strong and first lower the water. This was done. 

This was the beginning of Vaituutuu. The authority to govern the earth was later taken to the people who had asked for it.

After Reading Activities

1. Vocabulary

Instruction: Transfer all the new words you learned from the text and complete the table.

Word	Part of Speech	Picture	Definition	Use in a sentence

2. True or False

Write T if the statement is true or F if the statement is not true.

1. A son was sent to heaven to ask for some water and also the authority to govern the country. 
2. Tangaloalagi was at home when Vaea’i arrived in heaven.
3. Uluifunga advised the son to talk to Tangaloalagi as soon as he saw him.
4. Tangaloalagi agreed that he would send some taro heads to the earth.
5. Tangaloalagi did not quite believe that Vaea’i came to get taro heads.
6. Tangaloalagi was not afraid of his other family knowing what he was going to do.
7. Tangaloalagi did not want to send his sons to the earth for someone might murder them there.
8. Tangaloatea was first sent to the earth before the other two sons.
9. The authority to govern the earth was sent together with the taro heads.

3. Write a summary of what the text is about. 

4. Choose one major character that you like or dislike from the text. Describe who the character is, then explain why you like or dislike the character. 

5. After reading the text, express your opinion on the following question.

‘I believe that what happened in the text was true or not true.’ Why?

Examples of Students' Works