Scientific Text Comprehension Strategies
📖 Part 1: Pre-Reading Strategies
1. Look at the title "Photosynthesis: How Plants Make Their Own Food". What do you predict this text will be about?
2. Circle the reading strategies you already use when reading scientific texts:
Look at headings and subheadings first
Read the text twice
Highlight or underline key words
Ask questions while reading
Look up unfamiliar words
Make connections to what I already know
3. Before reading, write down three things you already know about how plants get energy:
🔍 Part 2: Identifying Main Ideas and Supporting Details
4. After reading the first paragraph, what is the main idea?
Plants need water to survive
Photosynthesis is how plants make their own food using sunlight
Leaves are green because of chlorophyll
Plants grow in soil
5. List three supporting details that explain how photosynthesis works:
6. Fill in the blanks using information from the text:
Plants use _____________ from the sun, _____________ from the air, and _____________ from the soil to make glucose through photosynthesis. This process happens in the _____________ of the plant.
🗺️ Part 3: Graphic Organiser - Concept Map
7. Complete the concept map below by filling in the missing information about photosynthesis:
8. Match the scientific terms with their definitions:
1. Chlorophyll
2. Carbon dioxide
3. Glucose
4. Oxygen
A. Gas released as a waste product
B. Sugar produced by plants for energy
C. Green substance that captures sunlight
D. Gas absorbed from the atmosphere
📝 Part 4: Summarising and Comprehension Monitoring
9. Write a summary of the text in 5-7 sentences using your own words. Use the sentence starters provided:
The main idea of this text is...
One key detail that supports this is...
Another important point is...
In conclusion...
10. Which comprehension monitoring strategies did you use while reading? Tick all that apply:
I asked myself "Does this make sense?"
I reread confusing parts
I connected new information to what I already knew
I visualised the process in my mind
I looked for key words and phrases
11. Write one question you still have about photosynthesis after reading the text:
🌱 Part 5: Real-World Connections
12. How does understanding photosynthesis help explain why plants are important for life on Earth?
13. Circle the statement that best describes why graphic organisers are helpful for understanding scientific texts:
They make the text look more interesting
They help organise and connect ideas visually
They replace the need to read the text carefully
They are only useful for science subjects
14. Reflection: How did using reading strategies help you understand this scientific text better?
