Are you looking for a creative way to have your students infer theme and author's purpose through words in both fiction and expository texts? If so, you should try Poll Everywhere's auto-generating word cloud feature. After joining the poll, students then post words as they read the text that are necessary to inferring author's purpose and theme. Also, have them hunt for strong imagery words as well. Once they are finished, display the word cloud for the class to see. Not only can this spur discussion, but will help them have a visual of potential themes or author's purpose. See the example below from students in Ms. Skiles's class after they read an expository article on teens picking tobacco in U.S. farms.
Enriching Extensions
-Have students write a poem out of the words generated by the class.
-Have students generate research questions to prepare for a debate on the topic
-Create an original work of art tied to the word cloud
-Have students generate research questions to prepare for a debate on the topic
-Create an original work of art tied to the word cloud
Other uses...
-Have students respond with words they don't know as they read; the anonymity will provide them with a safe feeling and help clarify confusion
Have another idea for uses...please share!
Have another idea for uses...please share!