Alternative pre-reading task: KNL

As you know (see page 341), good reading strategies help you read for information in textbook articles.

On page 205 you used a Skim-Question-Review reading strategy. Another strategy you can use to read for information is called KNL. K stands for what you already KNOW about the topic. N stands for what you NEED to learn. L stands for what you LEARNED from the reading.

Carefully follow steps 1-8 below to use the KNL strategy to read for information in this long article.

  1. KNOW. First, look at the title: “Empire to Independence: Australia and New Zealand" (or: "India and South Africa”, p. 249). In your notes, write down what you already KNOW about the first country in a mind-map using key words (see page 361). It might be names, assumptions, places, something you saw in the media, or even what you guess might be true. Use 2-3 minutes on the country. Then do the same thing for the second country on another page.
  2. NEED to learn: Skim the entire text for 2–3 minutes skimming the sub-headings, captions and illustrations of both countries' texts. Notice what is familiar and what is new.
  3. In your notes, make a NEED to learn section for each country. Write key words or sentences about what you feel you NEED to learn about after skimming.
  4. Get into pairs. Each student chooses one country to work with.
  5. On your own, do a close reading of your part of the text. The questions in the margin of the page will help you reflect on key words and the main idea in the section.
  6. LEARNED: When you are finished close-reading your section, write down key words and phrases about what you LEARNED. Use your own words as much as possible, or put words and phrases from the text in quotation marks.
  7. Sharing time. Tell your partner (in your own words, do not read!) what you KNEW before reading, what you felt you NEEDED to learn after skimming, and what you LEARNED about your country after the close-reading.
  8. Individual close reading: You should now have a pretty good mind set for understanding the entire textbook article. Now do a close reading of the part of the text your partner told you about. Be sure to answer the questions in the margin as you go along.

KNL reading strategy