In this activity students practice being an active listener by concentrating and participating. Tell the students that you are going to read a passage to them, and they should participate in the following ways:

1. When you listen, ask yourself questions about what you are hearing; answer the questions if you can.

2. Try to connect what you hear with what you already know.

3. Try to "picture" in your mind what is being said, and draw a picture if it is appropriate.

4. When the passage has been read write the main idea in your notebook.

Passage to be read: In this science class you will be doing a number of activities in the laboratory and it is important to use the right tools and instruments. You wouldn't use a thermometer to measure the height of a building. You wouldn't use a microscope to observe the moon. You wouldn't collect rocks in a glass beaker. You would choose the equipment that best fits the task you are doing. In this course, you will be measuring and observing objects, living things and phenomena and you will learn what tools and instruments you should use.

Another active listening device is taking notes. In this activity we will focus on notetaking during the listening process; more strategies for notetaking are found ahead in the section on mapping. In this activity, students listen to a passage and actively participate in the process by taking notes. However they are instructed as follows:

1. Do not write down everything. Instead, listen for words that seem key or important. Listen for speakers clues such as emphasis, or repetition.

2. As you listen, jot down all the key words or phrases.

3. When the speaker is finished, go back and write a phrase or sentence for each key word.

4. Describe the main idea by writing a sentence or two.

5. Share your main idea with a partner, listening to your partner's as well. Compare the results, and make any modifications.

Passage to read: Evolution---the theory that species change over time---is the unifying theme of biology. The theory of evolution helps explain how all the kinds of organisms came into existence. It helps us understand why organisms look the way they do and how organisms of the past are related to organisms alive today. It also helps explain relationships among various groups of living organisms. Scientists suggest that evolution occurs by a process called natural selection. According to the theory of evolution by natural selection, organisms that have certain inheritable traits are better able to survive in specific environments than organisms that lack those traits. Such favorable traits are called adaptations.