Reading Comprehension and the High School Student

Does anyone know how to teach reading comprehension.  I'm sure I was taught it when I was in elementary school because I comprehend my reading now; but I have no idea how to teach it to someone else.  Maybe an elementary teacher out there could help me out.  After years of testing modifications, I am convinced that the true problem is comprehending the questions.  When I read a question out loud, they usually know the answer.

Any ideas?  Anyone? Anyone?  Bueller?

Using a Discussion Board

Our school is encouraging the use of discussion boards, so I modified one of the things I usually do.

Every year, we have an in class debate in chemistry over the use of nuclear power.  I assign them to the pro or con side without regard to the opinion they actually hold because it is so early in the year.  This year, I made a discussion board for them to participate in for a week after the debate.  It enabled the "more advanced" class to keep the arguments they had been making in class going.  It enabled everyone to argue from their real opinion rather than the one I had assigned them.  

I read the forum this morning, and for the most part, it was great.  Just like always, you have a few who do as little as possible; but the ones who got into it really made some good points.  Two kids who had to be cajoled to speak during the in class debate contributed to the discussion board rather intellegently twice.  I'm considering if there are other current events or controversial scientific topics that I can use this with.  

The one other time I have used this feature is to respond to videos we watch in class.