Are you looking for a strategy to help students share information or key ideas, try “Fact Chants”. Once students have completed research on an expository topic, how can they share what they learned without reading their entire report to the class? The “Fact Chant” frame provides a format that students can complete using the most interesting or surprising facts they learned from texts, instructional magazines, and online resources. Students write phrases in their own words adding some melody, rhythm, sound effects and or motions to make an interesting presentation. The process helps students to determine the key ideas and consider what their audience would like to know. While the frame may be similar, students may modify the frame to fit their content. In addition, the music and movement the students create will make each chant sound different. The teacher can individualize the frame by requiring more or less facts.

“Fact Chant” Frame

From magazines and books let’s take a look at
What I learned about _______________________!

(List three facts.)

And did you know!

(List three more facts.)

From magazines and books this was a look at
What I learned about _____________________!

With young children, the teacher can write the frame on a piece of chart paper leaving space to record the student facts. As the class brainstorms information, the teacher can record the facts on separate sentence strips. Once the brainstorming is complete, the teacher and students can reread the strips and decide which ones to include and in what order. The sentence strips can be attached to the frame or the teacher can record the information directly on the chart. Next, the students can add sounds and movement. Once the chart is complete, students can draw pictures to make a symbolic border. For example, using the book “Hibernation”, students can draw pictures of animals that hibernate or the what animals need to hibernate. The pictures should support the words and be large enough to cut out and glue on the chart to make a border. Once the chart is finished, it can be displayed in the classroom as another read the wall center opportunity.

Hibernation Fact Chant Sample
From magazines and books, here’s a look at
What I learned about hibernation!
Many animals that don’t migrate in winter, hibernate.
True hibernators, chipmunks, woodchucks, squirrels, and mice sleep all winter and are difficult to wake.(Snoring sound)
Bears and raccoons wake up easily and look for food and water. This is called torpor. (Stretching motion and sound)
And did you know!
Snakes, bats, frogs, toads, and Atlantic cod hibernate. (Animal sounds or motions)
Hibernators have a low breathing and heart rate. (Pat chest slowly take deep breath)
They need food, water and a safe place away from predators. (Munching)
From magazines and books this was a look at
What I learned about hibernation!