Lesson 2.1“Investigating Landforms on Venus”

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In this lesson, students are introduced to Active Reading—a method of reading carefully and attentively, as a scientistdoes. Teacher modeling of this approach helps students see how asking meaningful questions while reading can helpone understand and remember what one reads. After this introduction, students read an article called “InvestigatingLandforms on Venus” about how scientists use computer models to explore landforms on Venus. Students record theirannotations in the Amplify Library as they read. They build an authentic, shared understanding of the article by sharingtheir annotations with a partner and returning to the article in search of answers.

Anchor Phenomenon: There is a channel on the surface of Mars.Investigative Phenomenon: There are novae on the surface of Venus.Everyday Phenomenon: A puddle disappeared.

Students learn:

Overview

• Reading actively means thinking about one’s own understanding as one reads.

• Novae are domed landforms on Venus thought to be created by melted rock rising up from underground.

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Lesson at a Glance

ACTIVITY

1

Warm-Up (5 min)Identifying a missing part of a diagram provides students an opportunity to

engage in systems thinking.WARM-UP

2Introducing Active Reading (10 min)The teacher helps students see the value of asking questions and making

connections while reading science texts.TEACHER-LEDDISCUSSION

3Active Reading: “Investigating Landforms on Venus” (20 min)Students practice the Active Reading approach while learning about

landforms on Venus and how scientists study them. The teacher uses this

opportunity as an On-the-Fly Assessment of students' understanding of how

to annotate an article.

READING

4Discussing Annotations (10 min)Students have the opportunity to see the value of thoughtful annotations

and build a shared understanding of the article. The teacher uses this

opportunity as an On-the-Fly Assessment of students' initial ideas about

models in science.

STUDENT-TO-STUDENT

DISCUSSION

5HomeworkStudents reflect on how models can help scientists get evidence.

HOMEWORK

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VOCABULARY

• geologic process

• landform

• model

UNPLUGGED?

Digital Devices Not Required

This lesson can be taught withoutdevices. If students do not havedevices, print copies of the articleand Investigation Notebook pagesfor this lesson. (PDF files of both canbe found in the Digital Resources.)

If students do not have access toAmplify Science at home, providethem with copies of page 23 fromthe Investigation Notebook.

DIGITAL RESOURCES

Investigating Landforms on Venus

Printable Article: “InvestigatingLandforms on Venus”

Active Reading Guidelines

Annotation Tracker Instructions

Annotation Tracker

Annotation Summary Sheet

Materials

For the Classroom Wall

For the Class

For Each Student

Digital Tools

*teacher provided

Preparation

Before the Day of the Lesson

Materials & Preparation

• Chapter 2 Question: How can we gather more evidence aboutwhether lava or water formed the channel on Mars?

• Annotation Tracker*

• 1 sheet of chart paper*

• marker, wide tip*

• masking tape*

• optional: printed copy of the "Investigating Landforms on Venus"article*

• optional: Geology on Mars Investigation Notebook, pages 19–23*

• “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article in Amplify Library

1. Gather the Chapter 2 Question for the classroom wall.

2. If this is your first time conducting an Active Reading lesson, preparefor it by doing the following:

• Practice making annotations in the Amplify Library. Practicingthis will prepare you to instruct students on how to navigate inthe Amplify Library and how to annotate directly on the article.

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Example Annotation Trackers andSummary Sheet

Geology on Mars InvestigationNotebook, pages 19–23

Geology on Mars Glossary

Geology on Mars Multi-LanguageGlossary

Immediately Before the Lesson

• Preview instructions and rationale for using the AnnotationTracker. You will need one copy of the Annotation Tracker foreach class. Preview the instructions for using the tracker torecord student annotations during Active Reading. Read theAnnotation Tracker Instructions and view the ExampleAnnotation Trackers in the Digital Resources for moreinformation.

• Print a copy of the Annotation Tracker for each class. A PDF fileof the Annotation Tracker can be found in the Digital Resources.

• Create the Active Reading Guidelines poster. Refer to the ActiveReading Guidelines in the Digital Resources. Then, create aposter of the guidelines on a sheet of chart paper.

3. Preview the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article in the Amplify Library. This article is also located in theDigital Resources. Students will read and annotate this article in this lesson. Practice making annotations inthe Amplify Library. Familiarizing yourself with the entire article will also help you support students as theyadd questions and comments during class and facilitate a conversation about the article at the end of class.

4. Prepare to model Active Reading. Review Activity 3 and plan how to model the process of Active Reading. Notethat you can use the script provided or modify it to reflect your own questions, ideas, and connections aboutthe article. If you choose to model your own thinking in that part of the lesson, consider focusing on similaraspects of the article. In the modeling script provided, we chose to focus on asking questions and identifyingunfamiliar words. These targets for modeling were chosen because they are good entry points for studentswho are beginning to work with annotations and because they are strategies that are especially importantwhen reading science texts.

5. Prepare for On-the-Fly Assessments. There are two On-the-Fly Assessments included in this lesson. Activity 3provides an opportunity to informally assess students’ first attempts at annotating an article in the unit.Activity 4 provides an opportunity to informally assess students’ initial ideas and questions about models inscience. Press the hummingbird icon and then select ON-THE-FLY ASSESSMENT for details about what tolook for and how you can use the information to maximize learning by all students.

1. Post the Chapter 2 Question on the wall.

2. Post the Active Reading Guidelines poster. Choose a location in your classroom that will be easily visible to allstudents. This poster will be used in other units, so you may want to keep it posted after the end of this unit.

3. Have on hand the following materials:

• Annotation Trackers

• optional: digital devices

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Between-Class Prep

At the End of the Day

Embedded Supports for Diverse Learners

Extended teacher modeling. The Active Reading approach includes many supports embedded in each lesson. Thisapproach to reading is based on curiosity, inquiry, and the awareness that students learn more from reading when theyare active participants and when they are provided with opportunities to share their own thinking about the text. Thus,extended modeling is a scaffold because it sets the tone for an approach to reading that is positive, is inquiry-based,and supports all types of readers. Model the types of thinking you hope that your students will adopt while reading. Thesuggestions in the instructional guide for what to attend to during modeling are intended to serve as a useful guide, butwe also encourage you to use this think-aloud technique to model any other aspects of sophisticated reading anddeeper thinking that you think will benefit your class.

• optional: printed copies of the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article

• optional: Investigation Notebooks, pages 19–23

1. Locate a new Annotation Tracker for your next class.

1. Review students’ annotations. On-the-Fly Assessment 4: Eliciting Initial Ideas and Questions About Models inScience is an opportunity for you to gauge students’ progress at this point in the unit. Refer to On-the-FlyAssessment 4 in Activity 4 of this lesson for analyzing students’ annotations.

2. Print a copy of the Annotation Summary Sheet for each class. A PDF file of the Annotation Summary Sheet isin the Digital Resources.

• Use the Annotation Trackers to review students’ submitted articles. If you have time to review students’submitted articles and annotations, continue to fill out each Annotation Tracker to identify questions,alternate conceptions, and exemplary annotations.

• Use the Annotation Summary Sheets to analyze students’ annotations. The Annotation Summary Sheetis intended to help you identify trends in student thinking, recurring questions students have about thetext, and other issues that you might want to address. Use your Annotation Trackers to fill out theAnnotation Summary Sheets.

• Collect exemplary annotations and recurring alternate conceptions to share with the class. Exemplaryannotations and recurring alternate conceptions can be shared in the next lesson. Identify examples ofstudent annotations that are thought provoking, exemplify the Active Reading approach, and/or targetkey science ideas.

Differentiation

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Discussion routine after reading. Student discussion after reading is another valuable scaffold of this approach.Students can share their thinking and questions with peers and can take advantage of this time, as well as the classdiscussion time, to work through alternate conceptions or to share insights.

Multimodal learning. Active Reading is one component of a multimodal approach to learning in which studentsencounter concepts through reading, talking, investigating, and writing. This multimodal approach has been shown tobe a highly effective strategy for all students to learn content.

Potential Challenges in This Lesson

Reading-focused lesson. This lesson requires students to actively engage with the text, both through reading andthrough annotation.You may recommend that some students work in pairs as they read aloud, annotating their ownarticles as they read. Alternatively, you could ask students to form small groups and work together during the first read.Finally, you might support students by having them read with you or another adult. As an alternative to studentsreading the entire article and discussing their annotations after they've finished, consider chunking the article (bysection, for example) and giving students an opportunity to annotate each section then discuss their ideas andannotations after reading each section.

Specific Differentiation Strategies for English Learners

Extended teacher modeling with pairs or small groups. Extended modeling of Active Reading with a small group ofEnglish learners can help them surface their questions and confusions about the text within a supportive environment.Before students read, choose a section of “Investigating Landforms on Venus” to read aloud with a small group ofEnglish learners, and model what to do when you don't understand part of what you've read. Think aloud as you modelhow to notice a break in your understanding and then reread this section slowly. Then, identify an idea you nowunderstand more clearly, as well as an unfamiliar or confusing word or phrase. Model how to record a question as anannotation. Explain that you could talk to a partner about this question to help you understand the article better.Encourage students to use these strategies as they read and provide time for them to try them out on their own. Afterreading, you can provide additional time for the class or the smaller group you met with to share and discuss parts ofthe text they found confusing.

Accessing cognates for Spanish-speaking students. Establishing connections between English and English learners’primary languages helps English learners transfer their language skills, which can aid them in reaching proficiency. Thislesson includes several English–Spanish cognates for science words. Review the following cognates with students:model/modelo, computer/computadora, system/sistema, and process/proceso. Have students who need extrasupport practice forming sentences, using these words in English and in Spanish. Encourage English learners to identifyadditional cognates as a strategy for understanding science texts.

Encourage students to use the Geology on Mars glossary. Throughout this unit, you will find additional scienceresources for supporting English learners, including a glossary in the Digital Resources of each lesson, which includesdefinitions in Spanish for primary Spanish speakers. At this point, many students may already know about thisglossary, since students have been introduced to it either on their digital devices or via the printed version you’ve

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provided (or both), but the glossary can be especially helpful during lessons in which students read articles. If you haveEnglish learners in your class whose primary language is Spanish, make sure to point out this glossary to them andadvise them to use this resource as needed during the lesson.

Specific Differentiation Strategies for Students Who Need More Support

Creating a positive environment by setting attainable goals. Establishing expectations for Active Reading and buildingenthusiasm and excitement around this practice might take time. You might find that many students who struggle withreading disengage during independent reading time. These students might feel overwhelmed by the length of thearticles or the cognitive load involved in having to read an entire article and record questions and connections about it.For this reason, they might resist reading because they feel that they cannot be successful. Or, students might make astrong effort to read and annotate, but run out of time before they are able to finish the first few paragraphs of thearticle. It is important that students who struggle or who are intimidated by reading have a strategy for feelingsuccessful as they read, even if they do not finish the entire article. Assure them that the goal is to think of at least onequestion they have about the article as they annotate. They can focus on a single paragraph or a visual representationand do not need to read the entire article during class.

Focus on analyzing visual representations. Another avenue for supporting students is to focus on the visualrepresentations in the articles. Many of the visual representations in the articles for this curriculum provide core ideasfrom the articles on their own. You may want to ask students who need more support with reading to begin by viewingand annotating one central visual representation. Often, students feel more confident thinking about and commentingon a visual representation than text. In addition, you could ask these students to read the accompanying paragraphsthat are supplemental to the focal visual representation, rather than expecting them to read the entire article. This willallow them the chance to access the focal content and to add annotations as their peers are doing.

Specific Differentiation Strategies for Students Who Need More Challenge

Asking deeper questions and making broader connections. Students who need more challenge should be encouragedto push themselves to ask deeper questions and make broader connections while they read. Active Reading is a verysophisticated way to read, and many advanced learners who haven’t used this practice before are surprised andpleased to see how much more they get out of reading when they take the time to slow down and interact with the textin this way. You can also ask students who need more challenge to record the three most important things they learnedfrom the article after reading or to record ideas and questions they have that weren’t addressed in this article.

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Key

Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting ConceptsStandards

3-D Statement

Students obtain information and ask questions as they actively read “Investigating Landforms on Venus,” an articleabout how scientists use computer models to investigate how interacting planetary systems on Venus (systems andsystem models) likely caused certain landforms on Venus to form.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS-ELA)

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY.R.RSSTT..6-86-8.1:.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY.R.RSSTT..6-86-8..4:4: Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific wordsand phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6–8 texts and topics

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY..WHSWHSTT..6-86-8.9:.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, andresearch

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY..CCCRCRA.A.SSL.1:L.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations andcollaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY..CCCRCRA.L.A.L.4:4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words andphrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specializedreferences materials, as appropriate

• CCCCSSSS.ELA.ELA-LITER-LITERAACCYY..CCCRCRA.L.A.L.6:6: Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specificwords and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important tocomprehension or expression.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS-Math)

CCCCSSS-Math PS-Math Prracticacticeess

• CCCCSSSS.MA.MATH.PRTH.PRAACCTICE.MP1:TICE.MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

CCCCSSS-Math CS-Math Contontentent

• CCCCSSSS.MA.MATH.TH.CCONTENTONTENT..77.NS.NS.2:.2: Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division and offractions to multiply and divide rational numbers.

• CCCCSSSS.MA.MATH.TH.CCONTENTONTENT..66.NS.NS.2:.2: Fluently divide multi-digit numbers using the standard algorithm.

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• CCCCSSSS.MA.MATH.TH.CCONTENTONTENT..77.NS.NS.3:.3: Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving the four operations withrational numbers.

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Students revisit the puddle example from Lesson 1.3 and consider what ismissing from a diagram that shows how the puddle evaporated.

Instructional Guide1. Project Warm-Up; students work independently. Collapse the instructional guide and project the student screen, orhave students turn to page 20 in their Investigation Notebooks. Allow a few minutes for students to individually respondto the Warm-Up.

Possible Responses

1WARM-UP

Warm-Up

2 3 4 5

Warm-Up5MIN

What would you add to the diagram to better show Claire’s idea?The diagram is missing the sun. That’s how the water heated up enough to evaporate.

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Introduce the purpose of Active Reading and have students view and discuss anexample of a student-annotated article.

Instructional Guide1. Review the Chapter 1 Question. Remind students that their central mission is to figure out what geologic process inthe Mars system formed the channel on Mars. Refer to the Chapter 1 Question posted on the wall and to the two claimson the Channel on Mars Claims poster. Highlight that if flowing water formed the channel, then Mars once had the liquidwater needed to support life.

2. Introduce the Chapter 2 Question. Remind students that in the previous lesson, you discussed the need for moreevidence to be able to figure out whether flowing water or flowing lava formed the channel on Mars. Let students knowthat in the next few lessons they will think about ways scientists get evidence about processes that are difficult toobserve, such as those on other planets. Point out the Chapter 2 Question posted on the wall and read it aloud: How canwe gather more evidence about whether lava or water formed the channel on Mars?

3. Briefly introduce “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article.

4. Establish that reading is an important part of scientists’ work.

5. Introduce Active Reading.

1

2TEACHER-LED DISCUSSION

Introducing Active Reading

3 4 5

Introducing Active Reading10MIN

Today we will read an article about a scientist trying to get evidence about Venus, another rocky planet. Thescientist observed interesting landforms on Venus and wanted to get evidence about the process that createdthem.

The article will explain how he did this. We’ll apply what we learn to understand how we can gather more evidenceabout whether lava or water formed the channel on Mars.

Earth scientists read a lot. They read about investigations that other scientists have performed, and they read tolearn more about topics in Earth and space science. They also read carefully and critically, making sure that theyunderstand the ideas that are presented.

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6. Discuss the opposite of Active Reading. Ask students to think about a time when they were doing the opposite ofActive Reading.

Invite partners to discuss why they think this happens. Ask students to share their experiences with the class. Point outthat reading without paying attention or understanding what is read is actually very common. Emphasize that you wantstudents to read actively in this class.

7. Project Example Student Annotations. Draw students’ attention to the image of an article on their screens, or havestudents turn to page 21 in their Investigation Notebooks. Explain that this is an article that a middle school studentannotated as she was reading. Explain that students should read the annotations to get a sense of the thought processinvolved in Active Reading.

As you’ve probably noticed, science texts can be difficult to read. They contain words and concepts that may benew or complicated. That’s why it’s especially important to read deeply and carefully.

Active Reading is an approach to reading science texts, which is similar to how scientists read. This approach iscalled Active Reading because you will think very deeply as you read, so you can actively try to understand whatyou are reading.

Raise your hand if you have ever experienced a time when you read something for class but realized you didn’tactually remember or didn’t try to really understand what you were reading.

Annotating a text means recording your own thinking as you read. This practice helps readers keep track of whatthey are thinking and helps them remember the ideas and concepts they are reading.

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8. Partners discuss example student annotations. Direct partners to quickly discuss the questions above the image.

9. Invite students to share their observations. Point out that this student annotated her article by recording herquestions about specific parts of the article, including a visual representation. This shows that she was thinking deeplyabout what she was reading.

Teacher SupportBackground

Science Reading: About Active ReadingMany students go through the motions of reading, but they may not understand or retain what they read. ActiveReading is meant to combat this phenomenon by giving students ways to carefully think through science texts. This is achallenging mental process that is likely new for students. Most students respond positively to Active Reading, butsome may struggle with either the text, the Active Reading approach, or both. However, teaching students to read inthis manner has a high payoff in terms of their engagement and understanding of science texts. Students will havemany opportunities to practice this approach and to learn to use it to help them understand science texts.

Here’s an example of how annotations can look in a digital version of the article.

• What do you notice about this student’s annotations?

• How do you know that she was thinking carefully while reading and trying to understand the article?

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Instructional Suggestion

Going Further: Providing Additional Examples of AnnotationsIf desired, you may also wish to provide other examples of annotations. You may wish to project and discuss your ownexample of a text you annotated. (Students are often very interested to see a text that you annotated in college.)Discuss how Active Reading and annotating helped you better understand the text when you read it. Or, you can showannotations from an older student that you know.

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Students see Active Reading strategies in practice before they begin readingand annotating the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article.

Instructional Guide1. Project and introduce the Amplify Library, using the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article, or project the printedarticle using a document camera.

2. Model Active Reading. Explain that you will now model how to annotate the article. As you model, you can use thefollowing script, or you can model your own thinking. Either way, model each annotation by making your thinking clearto students using a think-aloud approach.

1 2

3READING

Active Reading:“Investigating Landformson Venus”

4 5

Active Reading: “InvestigatingLandforms on Venus”

20MIN

• Begin reading the projected article aloud. Read the article title and begin reading the first paragraph. Stop afterthe second sentence.

• Model how to record a question.

This seems strange to me—Venus has clouds? I guess I never thought about that before.

• Highlight the second sentence and add a note that says “Does Venus have clouds? Is it similar to Earth in thatway, too?” By highlighting the second sentence with your cursor, a pop-up menu will appear. Press ADD NOTE torecord your question.

• Read the rest of the first paragraph.

• Model how to highlight a difficult word. Point out the word novae and highlight it by selecting the word with yourcursor and pressing HIGHLIGHT. Then, select a color to highlight the word.

When you’re reading, you may come to a word or a group of words that you don’t know. You can highlight thesewords so you will know to think about them more as you read, or you might ask your partner or me for a definitionlater.

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3. Summarize your annotations.

4. Encourage students to record annotations in note form. Explain that students shouldn’t worry about writing perfector complete sentences with correct spelling in their annotations. Their annotations should just reflect their thinking inthe moment.

5. Project and introduce Active Reading Guidelines. Point out that these guidelines are also posted in the classroom, oron page 22 in their Investigation Notebooks. Briefly discuss each guideline, emphasizing that you would like students tofocus on asking questions as they read.

For instance, I wasn’t sure about the word novae, so I am going to highlight it. I can see that the word is defined inthe article where it describes the shapes—raised domes with cracks. But, I’m still not exactly sure what the wordmeans.

• Direct students’ attention to the image of novae.

I am going to use this image to help me understand what novae are.

• Think aloud about the image. Share observations of the novae.

I am starting to be able to picture these novae; I see that they are round landforms found all over the surface ofVenus. But, I am still not sure how big they are.

• Select the word novae that you highlighted and add a note that says “How big are the novae?” Press ADD NOTEto record your question.

All of these examples—highlighting challenging words, recording questions or connections, thinking deeply aboutthe article—create a record of my thinking as I read. My annotations show that I was paying attention to my ownunderstanding as I read, which is an important habit to learn.

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6. Look ahead to partner discussion.

7. Instruct students to begin reading “Investigating Landforms on Venus.” If students are using devices, they can openthe article using the link on their screens or from the Digital Resources.

8. Prompt students to annotate while they read the article.

9. On-the-Fly Assessment: Making Connections to Text. For further suggestions on how to support student annotationas you circulate, press the hummingbird icon and then select ON-THE-FLY ASSESSMENT 3.

Embedded Formative Assessment

When you are finished reading and annotating the article, I’ll ask you to select one or two annotations you wouldlike to share with a partner. Make sure that you record a few specific, thoughtful questions that you can discusswith a partner after you read.

• Circulate as students read, using the Annotation Tracker to record annotations that you would like to invitestudents to share during the class discussion.

• Support students who are struggling or resistant to Active Reading as you circulate.

• If many students in your class need more support and encouragement in getting started, consider periodicallyreading an exemplary annotation aloud. Provide positive, encouraging feedback about why this annotation is agood example of Active Reading.

ON-THE-FLY ASSESSMENT 3: Making Connections to Text

Look for: The goal of annotating the article is for all students to experience what it feels like to read actively and sharetheir ideas about what they have read. Although students are introduced to the Active Reading approach in this lesson,their experiences with annotating during reading might vary. A survey of students’ annotations as they are annotatingcan help you gauge students’ facility with this practice. Students who are new to annotating might record simplequestions, such as “Why?” or “What?” or reactions, such as “Cool!” or “Wow!” Students who are more experiencedwith annotating might record more specific questions about what an image shows or how a described process works,but they may not be making deeper connections to the science content.

Now what? Use the Annotation Tracker to identify and share annotations that support students’ success, given theircurrent level of experience. If students are only recording simple questions, encourage them to go beyond one-wordannotations by highlighting accessible examples that make connections to students’ everyday lives, such as “thisreminds me of . . .” or “this makes me think of . . . .” If students who are more familiar with annotating during reading aresticking with superficial questions, challenge them to record deeper annotations by selecting and sharing examplesthat show critical thinking and deep connections to science content. Share these examples intermittently as studentsannotate, offering encouragement and expressing your genuine interest in their ideas.

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Teacher SupportInstructional Suggestion

Literacy Note: Defining and Discussing the Word Model Before ReadingThe word model is central to understanding the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article. It is also a unit vocabularyword in the Geology on Mars unit, and as such, will receive significant attention during this lesson and in subsequentlessons—providing students with many rich experiences to learn the word and deepen their contextual understandingof it. The word is carefully defined in the article itself, but the formal introduction of this word (introduced by projectingthe definition from the student screen and posting the word on the wall) actually takes place in Lesson 2.2. If you thinkthat your students would benefit from having experience with this word before reading the article, you may want toprovide a brief, separate introduction to the word before reading.

Background

Technology Note: Reading in the Amplify LibraryStudents can access the Amplify Library in multiple ways. They can open the Global Navigation Menu in the top left-hand corner of their screens, or open the article directly from the Digital Resources, from the link in Digital Tools, orfrom links within student activities. Either way, a new tab for the Library opens. Students have access to the full libraryfunctionality when the Library is open in its own tab, including the ability to turn Reveal Words and paragraphnumbering on and off. These preferences can be changed by pressing the gear icon in the top right-hand corner (pressthe blank space above the article to get this menu if it’s not visible). When students add a note in the Amplify Library,the note stays open and visible. We recommend students read in the Amplify Library for the first read of an articlebecause it is important for their annotations to be visible as they read and as they share their annotations with apartner.

Rationale

Pedagogical Goals: Importance of Teacher ModelingActive Reading is based on an understanding of how to teach students to read effectively in content areas. Scienceteachers understand how to read science texts effectively. Active Reading asks teachers to make their thinkingprocesses explicit for students. This is accomplished through modeling one’s thought processes aloud while reading aselection of text for students. This apprentices students into the type of thoughtful and sophisticated reading needed tounderstand science texts. If think-aloud modeling is familiar to you, provide modeling that reflects your own way ofreading. The goal is for students to adopt good habits of mind: to be metacognitive and engage in deep and curiousreading. Active Reading uses the same strategies and attitudes students use as they engage in inquiry. The more youmodel this, the more successful it will be.

Instructional Suggestion

Science Reading: Identifying Exemplary Student AnnotationsIdentifying examples of student annotations that are thought provoking, exemplify the Active Reading approach, and/or target key science ideas will help you make the most of class discussion. As students read, circulate and use theAnnotation Tracker to identify annotations you would like to discuss. Consider looking for the following types ofannotations:

• thought-provoking questions or connections that are sure to enrich class discussion

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Instructional Suggestion

Science Reading: Supporting Students in Asking Questions About the ArticleClarify that the goal of Active Reading is to ask questions about the article. Assure students that they do not need tofinish reading the entire article; they can instead focus on one part of the article closely. Direct students’ attention tothe images in the article. Ask them to carefully observe one of these images and ask questions or make commentsabout it. Next, ask them to read the paragraph that relates to the image (or read it with them), and explain that inscience texts the images and the text are closely linked. Encourage students to repeat this process with another image/text pairing.

Instructional Suggestion

Science Reading: Supporting Student Engagement by Focusing on Images or DiagramsChoose one or more images from the article and discuss with students what the images are showing about the topics ofmodeling, modeling in geology, and landforms on rocky planets. Point out how much important information can begained from this analysis. Be sure to leave time for independent analysis by asking students what they notice and whatconnections they can make to the content of the unit.

Instructional Suggestion

Diverse Learners: Invite Students to Annotate in Their Native LanguagesIf students are beginning English learners, invite them to annotate the images in their native languages. Encouragethem to write about the discussions you have had with them about the images in the article.

Instructional Suggestion

Going Further: Mathematical Thinking

In the “Investigating Landforms on Venus” article, students learn that the surface temperature of Venus is much hotterthan that of Earth. However it can be hard to understand the magnitude of this difference in surface temperatures.Consider the following extension in order to give students a better appreciation of how big this difference is, as well asto address one of the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.RP.A.3.D: Use ratioreasoning to convert measurement units; manipulate and transform units appropriately when multiplying or dividingquantities).

The average surface temperature of Earth is 14°C (57°F), while the average surface temperature of Venus is 462°C(864°F). In other words, the difference between Earth’s average surface temperature and Venus’ average surfacetemperature is 448°C (807°F). The difference between the hottest recorded temperature on Earth (measured in theDeath Valley desert in California) and the coldest recorded temperature on Earth (measured in Antarctica)—56.7°C(134.1°F) and -93.2°C (-136°F) respectively—is about 150°C (302°F). Ask students to calculate the answer to this

• annotations in which students were able to answer their own questions by reading further or returning to the text

• annotations that highlight a student’s individual annotation style and illustrate how students can annotate thetext in unique ways that are meaningful to them

• annotations that are particularly relevant to science content, including annotations that highlight commonalternate conceptions

Lesson 2.1Activity 3

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question: How many times bigger is the difference between Earth and Venus’ average surface temperatures than thedifference between the hottest and coldest temperatures on Earth? Have them round to the nearest whole number. [3times.]

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Partner discussion allows students to share their questions and ideas, and topractice finding answers to their questions in the article.

Instructional Guide1. Prepare students to move on to partner discussion. Ask students to finish reading and annotating the article.

2. Project and explain Discussing Annotations. Explain that students will review their annotations, choose a question orconnection that is interesting to them and that they want to share with a partner, and edit the annotation by pressingEDIT and writing “#share.”

3. Ask students to choose and tag annotations they want to discuss.

4. Prompt partners to discuss annotations. Circulate as partners discuss, using the Annotation Tracker and listening forquestions and connections that you would like to share during class discussion. Ask students to change the tags in theirshared annotations to “#discussed” if they feel that their partner discussions gave them a deeper meaning of theirannotations or if they answered their tagged questions.

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4STUDENT-TO-STUDENTDISCUSSION

Discussing Annotations

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Discussing Annotations10MIN

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5. Prompt partners to prepare for class discussion. Ask them to choose an interesting or unanswered question theywould like to share. Explain that these can be the same annotations they shared with their partners if the questions arestill unresolved. Ask students to tag the annotations they would like to share with the class by clicking on theannotation, writing "#present," and pressing SAVE.

6. Facilitate a brief class discussion about annotations. Invite students to share their tagged questions and connections.Encourage students to respond to one another and to look back at the article to answer their peers’ questions.

7. Highlight exemplary or noteworthy annotations. Refer to your Annotation Tracker and invite students withannotations that you noted to share them with the class. Provide specific, positive feedback as students share, notingwhen annotations show evidence of Active Reading. Examples might include annotations that make a connection toscience ideas, annotations that use vocabulary from the unit, or instances in which students were able to answer theirown questions.

If students are using digital devices, ask them to press NEXT.

8. Reflect on the Active Reading approach. Congratulate students on their work with Active Reading. Explain that thehabit of asking questions and annotating does not develop overnight; it takes time. Point out that sophisticated readersare always practicing reading actively. Direct students’ attention to the Active Reading Guidelines poster and highlightwhat they did well and what you would like to see more of the next time they read.

9. Students complete a reflection and submit their annotated articles. Students should answer the reflection questionon their screens or on page 22 of their Investigation Notebook. If students are using devices, they should submit theirarticles and reflection question responses by pressing HAND IN.

10. On-the-Fly Assessment: Eliciting Initial Ideas and Questions About Models in Science. For suggestions on what tolook for in students’ initial ideas about models in science, press the hummingbird icon and then select ON-THE-FLYASSESSMENT 4.

11. Point out the homework assignment to students (Activity 5 or page 23 in the Investigation Notebook). If students donot have access to Amplify Science at home, provide them with copies of page 23 from the Investigation Notebook.

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Embedded Formative Assessment

Teacher SupportRationale

Science Reading: The Importance of Making Time to Discuss and Share AnnotationsMaking time to discuss students’ annotations can help achieve the following goals in your classroom:

Instructional Suggestion

Providing More Experience: Using Student Annotations as ExemplarsYou may choose to use students’ annotations as models for thoughtful, reflective reading. As you circulate whilestudents are reading, try to find a few annotations that you think are particularly insightful or interesting. In particular,look for questions or connections that link what students have been learning in class to ideas in the article. You can alsomake note of any interesting conversations you heard during partner discussions. Summarize these comments for theclass as models of thoughtful reading and annotating. Even better, share some exemplary student annotations byconnecting student devices to the projector (with their permission, of course).

ON-THE-FLY ASSESSMENT 4: Eliciting Initial Ideas and Questions About Models in Science

Look for: Students' annotations are an excellent resource for formative assessment as they often reveal insight intoalternate conceptions that students hold. In particular, students' annotations in this lesson will provide insight intostudents’ emerging understanding of the crosscutting concept of system models. Although the class discussion aboutstudents’ annotations will surface some questions and alternate conceptions, spending more time reading students’annotations after class will provide you with snapshots of students’ current thinking. Students submit their articles andannotations during this lesson, so you can view students’ annotation work. If possible, skim all students’ annotations,looking for lingering alternate conceptions related to how scientists use models. If you do not have time to read allstudents’ annotations, consider reviewing a representative sample of students’ annotated articles. Select a few articlesfrom students who tend to struggle with science content, a few from students who tend to represent the class’s averagelevel of progress with science content, and a few from students who are high achievers in science.

Now what? Knowing more about students’ questions and initial ideas can prepare you to move through the next lessonswith knowledge of the concepts that students are wondering about or that need further development.

• Promote a culture of inquiry. When students can discuss their own connections and pursue answers to theirquestions collaboratively, they are able to see how feeling confused and challenged by a text is a normal andproductive part of science reading.

• Help students see value in the Active Reading approach and cultivate intrinsic motivation for reading. Studentsannotate their articles in unique and creative ways. When students are exposed to many different ways toannotate a text, they can take ownership of the Active Reading process.

• Provide an opportunity for formative assessment. Students’ thinking, made visible by their annotations anddiscussions, can help you identify concepts for which students need more support.

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Students reflect on the Chapter 2 Question as they think about what they learned from thearticle.

Instructional Guide1. If needed, make additional time to explain homework. If students do not have access to Amplify Science at home,provide them with copies of page 23 from the Investigation Notebook.

Possible Responses

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5HOMEWORK

Homework

Homework

Based on what you learned about Gerya in the article you read today, how can scientists study Mars if they can’tdirectly observe what is happening there?Scientists can make computer models or physical models of Mars to test their ideas. They can run the models andcompare the results to the data we are able to collect from Mars (such as satellite images).

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