A simplet-chart is an effective tool prompt students to higher- level reading. On theleft side of the chart, students are asked to write what the passage says(literal comprehension); on the right side, they record what they think thepassage means (inferential comprehension).

            A nice way to introduce this chartis by sharing some of the quirky statistics found in “Harper’s Index,” a monthlycompilation of interesting statements found in Harper’s magazine (available online at Harper’s.com). Here, forexample, are some of the statements from the May 2003 index:

• Last calendar year in which the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained in value: 1999.
• Last period in which the Dow declined for four consecutive years: 1929-1932.
• Percentage change since 1968 in the real value of the U.S. federal minimum wage: -37.
• Number of words the New York Times has devoted to the shuttle disaster per resulting death: 28,500.
• Number of words the Times devoted to 1998’s U.S. Embassy bombings in Africa per resulting death: 163.
• Percentage of employed U.S. mothers who think full-time mothers look down on them: 66.
• Percentage of full-time mothers who think employed mothers look down on them: 73.
• Number of U. S. doctors per pharmaceutical sales representative in 1995 and 2002, respectively: 19 and 9.

Students choose one of thesestatements and together we put together our t-chart. Figure 5.3 presents theresults of a recent class brainstorm.