Chapter Eight: Extending Meaning

One of the things I really liked about this chapter was how Beers suggested using scales as either anticipation guides or as assignments for after reading. I think that this was a great idea because there really is no right or wrong answer as long as the student can back up their answer. I feel that you could really see if the students are understanding the text or not, and that the various forms of scales she shows us could help with this. I also like how Beers seems to always provide a model to show the students. She says that she will do a scale on something she read with the students in class and defend her answers with things she found in the text. 
This will show students how to do the assignment and to draw their conclusions from evidence provided in the text.
I also enjoyed the 'Sketch to Stretch' strategy a lot. I feel that students can incorporate art into this as well as understanding what they read. After they do this, Beers suggests putting the students into groups and having them discuss why they drew what they did and wrote what they wrote. Also, you could even hang these on the wall afterward and maybe keep them up as a study guide for a quiz or test. If you had the students write their response to the picture on the back, I think it would be neat to have them remember what their peers said. This I think would be helpful because students could be reminded of their discussions as well as have to remember what the drawing meant. -Katie May