Description
The PLAN (Predict, Locate, Add, Note) is one example of a strategy that allows readers to practice multiple strategies at the same time (Miller & Veatch, 2003). The strategy is typically used to help students comprehend content-heavy readings because students are identifying what information they already know and what information from the text is new to them (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). When predicting, students use text clues to predict the content and structure (Miller & Veatch, 2003). Students might develop the diagram themselves or receive one from their teacher
(Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). In order to locate, students identify what material, words, or concepts are familiar to them and which are unfamiliar, which requires them to activate prior knowledge (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). Students are actively reading during the add stage; at this time, they integrate new knowledge into previous knowledge in order to explain what they don't know and confirm what they do know (Miller & Veatch, 2003). In the Note section, they reconstruct their maps accordingly or determine how they might use this new knowledge at a later time (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). This step is particularly valuable for students in terms of metacognition and transfer of knowledge to new situations or content.
Examples
This site provides a step-by-step plan for implementing the strategy as well as examples at each stage of PLAN.
This site provides an example of the PLAN strategy being used with a concept map.
Link to Writing
The writing standard associated with this strategy is Grade 7, Standard 2, Benchmark a, which states that students should be able to "introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g. headings), graphics (e.g. charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aid in comprehension"
(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010, p. 42). In this strategy, students are learning how authors might accomplish these goals in various ways, providing them with a toolbox of methods to choose from in their own writing.
Video Examples
The PLAN (Predict, Locate, Add, Note) is one example of a strategy that allows readers to practice multiple strategies at the same time (Miller & Veatch, 2003). The strategy is typically used to help students comprehend content-heavy readings because students are identifying what information they already know and what information from the text is new to them (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). When predicting, students use text clues to predict the content and structure (Miller & Veatch, 2003). Students might develop the diagram themselves or receive one from their teacher
(Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). In order to locate, students identify what material, words, or concepts are familiar to them and which are unfamiliar, which requires them to activate prior knowledge (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). Students are actively reading during the add stage; at this time, they integrate new knowledge into previous knowledge in order to explain what they don't know and confirm what they do know (Miller & Veatch, 2003). In the Note section, they reconstruct their maps accordingly or determine how they might use this new knowledge at a later time (Caverly, Mandeville, & Nicholson, 1995). This step is particularly valuable for students in terms of metacognition and transfer of knowledge to new situations or content.
Examples
This site provides a step-by-step plan for implementing the strategy as well as examples at each stage of PLAN.
This site provides an example of the PLAN strategy being used with a concept map.
Link to Writing
The writing standard associated with this strategy is Grade 7, Standard 2, Benchmark a, which states that students should be able to "introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g. headings), graphics (e.g. charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aid in comprehension"
(National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010, p. 42). In this strategy, students are learning how authors might accomplish these goals in various ways, providing them with a toolbox of methods to choose from in their own writing.
Video Examples
One element of this strategy is making predictions. This can be a challenging concept for students because it is so abstract. Often times, students can use text clues, such as titles, to make predictions. However, there are more fun ways to teach students this strategy as well. This instructor uses key words to have students predict the title of a text and what might happen in it. This could be applied to a content area as well by utilizing vocabulary words.
Activating prior knowledge is also a key component of the PLAN strategy. In this video, the instructor asks students to make predictions based on the title of the text. The prediction element of this strategy can also be used as a formative assessment if you're trying to gauge how much students remember about a topic they previously studied. Perhaps these students have learned about endangered species previously, and this instructor is trying to gauge how much they learned in that unit.