| Text Connections | |
|---|---|
| Text to Text | Connection that reminds you of something in another book or story |
| Text to Self | Connection that reminds you of something in your life. |
| Text to World | Connection that reminds you of something happening in the world. |
Making connections is a very important skill to acquire and perfect. The Raft is a great story for students to connect to on many different levels. In this activity, students will be making text to text, text to self, and text to world connections. Students should choose which connection they want to make first and work to write a narrative for that. Once all three connections have been made, students can work on their illustrations.
TEXT TO TEXT
TEXT TO SELF
TEXT TO WORLD
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows connections you have made with The Raft. Include a connection for text to text, text to world, and text to self.
Lead a lively group discussion where students share their text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world connections. This helps build confidence and encourages deeper understanding as students see how others relate to the story.
Offer helpful prompts such as “This reminds me of...”, “I felt the same way when...”, or “This is like when...”. These sentence starters make it easier for students to begin their responses and develop thoughtful connections.
Read a passage from The Raft aloud and describe your own connections as you go. When teachers model the process, students see how to make meaningful links between text, themselves, and the world.
Create a visual anchor chart in your classroom that lists the three types of connections. Add student examples throughout the unit to reinforce learning and celebrate new insights.
Invite students to draw or use digital tools to illustrate each connection they make with The Raft. This taps into creativity and ensures all learners can express their understanding.
Text-to-text connections link what you're reading to another story or book. Text-to-self connections relate the text to your own life or experiences. Text-to-world connections tie the story to real events or issues in the wider world.
Students can make connections by identifying moments in The Raft that remind them of other books, their own lives, or real-world events. They can use a T-chart to organize these text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world connections and illustrate each with scenes or descriptions.
Making connections helps students understand and relate to texts more deeply. It boosts comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking by linking new information to what students already know or have experienced.
Teachers can ask students to create a storyboard or T-chart. On one side, students list events from The Raft; on the other, they write or draw their text-to-text, text-to-self, or text-to-world connections, explaining each briefly.
For example, if Nicky in The Raft didn't want to visit his grandma, a student might connect this to a time they also felt unsure about visiting a family member, making the story feel more personal and relatable.