o/o,(initial and medial), /f/f (initial), -at, -an is, play

Unit Learning Standards and Core Concepts

Unit 5 is out of numerical order to accommodate a more integrated unit on Animals.

Major Concepts:

Phonemic Awareness - Phoneme Isolation; Phoneme Blending; Phoneme Segmentation

Phonics -Introduce /o/o,(initial and medial), Introduce /f/f (initial), Word Families -at, -an

Vocabulary - High Frequency Words - is, play ; Selection Vocabulary

Comprehension - Recognize Story Structure, Recognize Text Structure, Determining Importance

Fluency - Sound-Spellings, Word Automaticity, Echo-Read, Read for Fluency, Choral Read

Grammar/Mechanics - Sentences, List, Letters

Writing - Sentences, A List, ABC Page

Assessment - Spiral Review a-z Sound-Spelling Cards; High Frequency Words; Comprehension

Performance Task:

* Demonstrate phonological and print awareness by responding to teacher prompts.

Processes:

1.A - Recognize that spoken words can be represented by print for communication;

1.B - Identify upper- and lower-case letters;

1.C - Demonstrate the one-to-one correspondence between a spoken word and a printed word in text;

1.D - Recognize the difference between a letter and a printed word;

1.F - Hold a book right side up, turn its pages correctly, and know that reading moves from top to bottom and left to right; and

1.G - Identify different parts of a book (e.g., front and back covers, title page).

2.A - Identify a sentence made up of a group of words;

* Recite a short poem demonstrating knowledge of rhythm and rhyme by identifying the beat (e.g., clapping) and similarities in

word sounds (e.g., emphasizing rhyming words).

(1) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Print

Awareness.

1.E - Recognize that sentences are comprised of words separated by spaces and demonstrate the awareness of word boundaries

(e.g., through kinesthetic or tactile actions such as clapping and jumping);

(2) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Phonological

Awareness.

(3) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Phonics.

Students use the

relationships

between letters and

sounds, spelling

patterns, and

morphological

analysis to decode

written English.

(4) Reading/Beginn

ing

Reading/Strategies.

Students

comprehend a

variety of texts

drawing on useful

strategies as needed.

English Language Arts and Reading Curriculum Overview Kindergarten 4th Six Weeks - Week 1, 2, and 3

Topic/Theme: Animals (Unit 5)

Learning Standards

Reading

* In a small group, listen to a well-known folktale or fable read aloud, and ask and respond to questions related to the story.

Discuss the purpose for listening to the story, and identify the big idea. Individually, create a story map that includes characters,

setting, and key events. Use your story map to verbally retell the story.

2.B - Identify syllables in spoken words;

2.C - Orally generate rhymes in response to spoken words (e.g., "What rhymes with hat?");

2.D - Distinguish orally presented rhyming pairs of words from non-rhyming pairs;

2.F - Blend spoken onsets and rimes to form simple words (e.g., onset/c/ and rime/at/ make cat);

2.G - Blend spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words (e.g.,/m/ …/a/ …/n/ says man);

2.H - Isolate the initial sound in one-syllable spoken words; and

2.I - Segment spoken one-syllable words into two to three phonemes (e.g., dog:/d/ …/o/ …/g/).

3.A - Identify the common sounds that letters represent;

3.C - Recognize that new words are created when letters are changed, added, or deleted; and

3.D - Identify and read at least 25 high-frequency words from a commonly used list.

4.A - Predict what might happen next in text based on the cover, title, and illustrations; and

4.B - Ask and respond to questions about texts read aloud.

5.A - Identify and use words that name actions, directions, positions, sequences, and locations;

6.A - Identify elements of a story including setting, character, and key events;

6.B - Discuss the big idea (theme) of a well-known folktale or fable and connect it to personal experience;

6.C - Recognize sensory details; and

6.D - Recognize recurring phrases and characters in traditional fairy tales, lullabies, and folktales from various cultures.

8.A - Retell a main event from a story read aloud; and

8.B - Describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions.

10.A - Identify the topic and details in expository text heard or read, referring to the words and/or illustrations;

10.B - Retell important facts in a text, heard or read;

10.C - Discuss the ways authors group information in text; and

10.D - Use titles and illustrations to make predictions about text.

13.A - Plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion;

13.B - Develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story;

13.C - Revise drafts by adding details or sentences;

13.D - Edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words; and

13.E - Share writing with others.

14.A - Dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence;

16.B - Speak in complete sentences to communicate; and

17.A - Form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom

progression);

(5) Reading/Vocab

ulary Development.

Students understand

new vocabulary and

use it correctly

when reading and

writing.

2.E - Recognize spoken alliteration or groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound (e.g., "baby boy

bounces the ball");

3.B - Use knowledge of letter-sound relationships to decode regular words in text and independent of content (e.g., VC, CVC,

CCVC, and CVCC words);

(6) Reading/Compr

ehension of Literary

Text/Theme and

Genre. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

theme and genre in

different cultural,

historical, and

contemporary

contexts and

provide evidence

from the text to

support their

understanding.

(7) Reading/Compr


Text/Poetry.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of poetry

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.

Students are

expected to respond

to rhythm and

rhyme in poetry

through identifying

a regular beat and

similarities in word

sounds.

(4) Reading/Beginn

ing

Reading/Strategies.

Students

comprehend a

variety of texts

drawing on useful


Essential Question (s): Literature Connection (s)

Questions (Fiction): Mama Cat has three kittens (Fiction)

Animal Babies ABC (Expository)

Mole and the Baby Bird (Fiction)

What are the important details in the story? Big Book of Explorations (all three weeks)

Leveled Readers:

What is your favorite illustration? Why?

How does the way the author organized the Decodable: Sit, Can It Fit?, Tap, Tap, Tap!

information help you understand the story? Approaching: Where Is It?, Baby Animals, Time to Play

Content Questions: On Level: Animals in Nature, Animals and Their Babies, We Can Play

Where do some animals live? Beyond: Good Pets, Animal Babies, Nature Park

What animal do you like best? ELL: Animals, Animals Play, Can We Play?

How do animals take care of their offspring? Teacher Selected Reading

What did you learn about animal mothers? School Library

What is a(n) _______ habitat? Classroom Library

Media Connection (s) Instructional Resources

Texas Treasures (Macmillan/McGraw Hill) Teachers Edition

Texas Treasures (Macmillan/McGraw Hill) Student Edition

Texas Treasures Activity Book

Texas Treasures Practice Book

(8) Reading/Compr


Text/Fiction.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of fiction

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.

(7) Reading/Compr


Text/Poetry.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of poetry

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.

Students are

expected to respond

to rhythm and

rhyme in poetry

through identifying

a regular beat and


sounds.

What happened first/next/last in this story? Confirm

using text evidence.

Could you tell what the story was going to be about

by looking at the cover? Why or why not? How

could you tell? What part of the picture told you?

Books to be matched with Students’ appropriate level & targeted skills --

Recommend using small leveled books for Approaching level, On level and

Beyond level, Decodable Readers

Please visit the WOCCISD LiveBinder for the

Media Connections related to this unit.

Focus Lesson/Direct Instruction/Modeling

Introducing the Theme: The theme, “Animals” allows students to engage in reflecting on the differences and commonalities

among the diverse types of animals; while reading, thinking, discussing, and writing about the texts. Students will demonstrate

mastery of the learning outcomes for the six weeks by writing sentences and creating an animal booklet . The projects will require

students to incorporate literary elements such as characters, setting, and plot.

Whenever possible, teachers should try to help the students engage background knowledge before reading, and talking about a new theme

is just one way to do this. Activating prior knowledge puts the students in the right frame of mind to approach the text.

* Assess student's prior knowledge about animals. Compile a classroom chart of responses from the following questions:

1) Which animals live with us in our homes?

2) Which animals live on a farm?

3) Which animals live in the zoo?

4) Which animals live in the wild?

Class Artifact: Animal Chart

* You may consider asking students to draw a picture of their favorite animal. Student Artifact: Animal Picture

Week 2

Metacognitive Strategies - Determining Importance

(9) Reading/Compr

ehension of

Informational

Text/Culture and

History. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the author's purpose

in cultural,

historical, and

contemporary

contexts and

provide evidence

from the text to

support their

understanding.

Students are

expected to identify

the topic of an

informational text

heard.

(10) Reading/Comp

rehension of

Informational

Text/Expository

Text. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

expository text, and

provide evidence

from text to support

their

understanding.

Writing

(13) Writing/Writin

g Process. Students

use elements of the

writing process

(planning, drafting,

revising, editing,

and publishing) to

compose text.

* Give each student a picture of a different animal. Show animal pictures one at a time and ask students to categorize

the pictures by placing them on the chart paper under the appropriate heading. If students are unfamiliar with an

animal and unable to determine the body covering from the picture, encourage and allow time for students to do

research to find out enough about the animal to place it on the graph.

* Allow time for students to research an animal. Students should be able to describe the animal covering, discuss its habitat, and

how the covering helps with its habitat. For example, students researching polar bears might discuss how the fur protects against

the weather.

• Connect and Engage: Introduce the theme, “Animals” by echo reading a story about zoo animals, farm animals, or animals in

the wild. Consider the following children's books: Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarinoor Are You My Mother? by

P.D. Eastman, to engage student's interest in the subject of animals. Engage student's prior knowledge by discussing what they

know about various animals, their habitats, and their behaviors. You may start with common household animals, then progress to

farm animals, and animals in the wild. Using media resources, such as National Geographic Online, will allow students to obtain

a close up view of the habitats and behaviors of animals in the wild. Additionally using visual resources, such as photographs

and virtual tours, will allow students to gain access to additional animal families.

• Connect and Engage: Animal Coverings - Categorize animal pictures by their coverings. Students will observe animals in

their habitat. Describe how the animal coverings help the animal in its natural habitat. Gather together sensory materials that

will allow students to feel the different types of animal coverings, such as fur, feathers, skin, hair, scales, and shells. If these

items are not available, use pictures of animals and/or consider the following books: Animals Should Definitely Not Wear

Clothing by Judi Barrett; Whose Skin Is This? by Lisa M. Lee; Animal Skins and Fur by Jontha A. Brown; or Amazing Animal

Skins by Linda Bozzo. Divide a piece of chart paper into headings: Fur, Feathers, Hair, Skin, Scales, and Shell.

* Categorize pictures of animals by their covering (e.g., fur, feathers, shells, skin, or scales). Tape the pictures into

categories on a piece of chart paper with labels and, if possible, post on a bulletin board for reference.

Reminder: Before, during, and after reading strategies should be done with each read aloud. As students progress toward

mastering these routines, teachers may add to, subtract from, condense, and modify as needed. These routines will consistently

be listed in the curriculum, however mini-lesson will vary depending on which strategy is highlighted. These mini-lesson are

not listed sequentially. However, each mini-lesson is expected be taught and reviewed. Use your judgment when determining

sequence and timing of mini-lessons during Read Aloud. Using the daily Read Aloud, remember to review reading

metacognitive strategies before, during, and after reading.

Link to SMART Exchange - Main Idea

http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=1a96d34c-9a3d-4815-b088-d8fd76c0ab23

Mini-Lesson: Determining Importance/What's Important to Me (Day 1)

Mini-Lesson: Determining Importance/What to Bring (Day 2)

* Have the class decide "what's important" to bring on:

a camping trip

a fishing vacation

a family picnic

a beach visit

a class field trip

Mini-Lesson: Determining Importance/What Teachers Look For (Day 3-4)

(13) Writing/Writin

g Process. Students

use elements of the

writing process


revising, editing,

and publishing) to

compose text.

(14) Writing/Litera

ry Texts. Students

write literary texts

to express their

ideas and feelings

about real or

imagined people,

events, and ideas.

Oral and Written

Conventions

(16) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Conve

ntions. Students

understand the

function of and use

the conventions of

academic language

when speaking and

writing. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

* Determining Importance: As I read, I decide what the main ideas are and what the author's message is to help

me understand what I am reading.

* Display a picture of one of the above and create a list of what would be important to bring along. Have students

decide what's important for each excursion and state their reason for why it's important. Remind students, "Writers

choose a topic. They decide what details they will share with their audience. Some of the details are very important

and are called the main ideas. Some are supporting details. They are important but not the most important. Readers

decide what the main ideas are and what the author's message in the writing is."

* It's always important for kids to know "what's important" for the tasks and skills they take on each day at school. To

extend the skill of deciding what's important, have your class share what's important for each skill/activity. The chart

example to the right gives an example for reading and writing. Share with students that when they are reading/writing,

these are the behaviors you determined to be most important to have when reading/writing.

* Extend the activity to deciding what's most important from a child's perspective-- What's Important to Have in a

Friend? (or something similar). Encourage students to start thinking about the books they read. Encourage them to

ask themselves, "What's the most important thing the author wants me to know."

* Have students bring in something to Show and Share . If you don't have this time already scheduled into your

weekly schedule (like me), your kiddos will be very excited to bring in something to Show and Share . Send home a

recording sheet for them to create a list of "Important Details" they wish to share about the item they selected. Model

the process for the class by bringing in something special to you. Share a few important details about it, telling the

class why you decided to share those details. After students are done sharing, connect the activity to the act of writing

and reading. Say, "Writers choose a topic. They decide what details they will share with their audience. Some of the

details are very important and are called the main ideas. Some are supporting details. They are important but not the

most important. Readers decide what the main ideas are and what the author's message in the writing is."

Mini-Lesson: Determining Importance/Pebbles and Sand (Day 5)

Mini-Lesson: Identifying Determining Importance Thinking Stems (Ongoing)

Determining Important Thinking Stems

* Continue to add to the chart as the unit progresses.

* It's interesting that….

* I want to remember….

* I noticed….

* What matters….

* What's important here….

Mini-Lesson: Fiction….What's Important (Ongoing)

(17) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Handw

riting,

Capitalization, and

Punctuation.

Students write

legibly and use

appropriate

capitalization and

punctuation

conventions in their

compositions.

(18) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Spellin

g. Students spell

correctly.

Research

(19) Research/Rese

arch Plan. Students

ask open-ended

research questions

and develop a plan

for answering them.

(with adult

assistance)

(20) Research/Gath

ering Sources.

Students determine,

locate, and explore

the full range of

relevant sources

addressing a

research question

and systematically

record the

information they

gather. (with adult

assistance)

* Encourage students to transfer the skills you are working on to their own independent reading time at school and

home. Encourage/praise the use of special words such as plot, setting, characters, and problem/solution. Choose

fictional text related to our unit theme: animals. Practice using the determining importance thinking stems with each

text.

* Display the pebbles, sand, and funnel. Share with the class that, "When we read take in the details an author writes.

As we read we decide which details are the most important to remember. Some of the details are really important.

They help us understand the author's purpose for writing the story. Some details are less important.” Demonstrate

the difference between really important and less important details using the pebbles, sand, and funnel. Conclude that

readers' minds determine which details are important and hold onto them like the funnel is holding the pebbles. The

pebbles are like the important details and the sand is like the less important details. Encourage students to be

metacognitive today as they read. Challenge them to find important details in one of the books they read and mark

them with a Post-it Note.

* What do readers do while they are reading? Reiterate that readers THINK about their reading. Readers use their

schema, make connections, create mental images, and ask questions as they read. Model this for students. Read aloud

a book you are familiar with and use the “think out loud” strategy DETERMINING IMPORTANCE. Use the

“determining importance thinking stems” that you’d like your students to begin using. When you have finished

reading and thinking out loud, ask students to make observations about you as a reader (what you were doing, what

words you used, etc.). Record their answers on the Determining Importance Anchor Chart. As you dismiss

students, encourage them to think about what they are reading, and to start using determining importance thinking

stems as they read and ask questions. Add to the chart as the unit progresses.

* Readers make choices about what information is important to remember when they read. They use the trait of

Determining Importance to summarize. Understanding how the text is organized is an important part of the process of

determining importance. As you read fiction texts to/with your students, talk about how they are organized. During

modeled, guided, and shared reading, discuss plot, setting, characters, and problem/solution. Discuss author's purpose.

(see FICTION Reading Skills Chart)

Whole Group - Read Aloud

Week 1

Week 2

Read Aloud Anthology – “The Three Bears” p. 73-76 (Genre: Folktale - Determine Importance, Fluency, Text Structure)

Week 3

Before Reading

During Reading

Listening and

Speaking

(21) Listening and

Speaking/Listening.

Students use

comprehension

skills to listen

attentively to others

in formal and

informal settings.

Students continue to

apply earlier

standards with

greater complexity.

(22) Listening and

Speaking/Speaking.

Students speak

clearly and to the

point, using the

conventions of

language. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

Students are

expected to share

information and

ideas by speaking

audibly and clearly

using the

conventions of

language.

(20) Research/Gath

ering Sources.

Students determine,

locate, and explore

the full range of

relevant sources

addressing a

research question

and systematically

record the

information they

gather. (with adult

assistance)

Fiction – Big Book: Mama Cat has three kittens, Unit 5 p. 1056-1060 (Fiction: summarize, determine importance, make and

confirm predictions, story structure)

Read Aloud Anthology – “The Three Little Kittens” p. 69-72 (Poetry - rhythmic pattern and rhyme, selection vocabulary,

fluency)

Expository - Big Book: Animal Babies ABC , Unit 5 p. 1140-1143 (Summarize, Determine Importance, Recognize Text

Structure, Classify and Categorize)

Poetry: Big Book of Explorations- “Crusty Corn Bread” and “Tadpole, Tadpole" and "If" Unit 5, p. 57-58 (Rhyme/Rhyme

Scheme, Vocabulary, Retell)

Trade Book – "Mole and the Baby Bird", Unit 5 p. 1224-1227 (Summarize, Determine Importance, Identify Plot and Character)

Read Aloud Anthology – “The Coyote and the Turtle” p. 77-80 (Genre - Folktale, Determine Importance, Story Structure)

Routine: Read the story. Stop occasionally to model a Think Aloud. Model and practice the focus strategy. Stop at

predetermined points to invite students to react or reflect on thinking with a partner; write a note in their journal, share thinking

using "CAFE" Comprehension Strategies, such as prediction and differencing. Using sample Read Aloud Questions/Prompts,

hold students accountable for the knowledge in the text and accountable for rigorous thinking. (See Examples)

Mentor Text During Read Aloud (see also LiveBinder) - Stories, pictures, poems related to animals, animal coverings, and

animal habitats.

Expository - “Let's Go to the Vet”, Big Book of Explorations Unit 5, p. 53-56 (Text Features - Diagrams, Determining

Importance)

Expository: Big Book of Explorations - “TIME for Kids: At Home in the Rain Forest", Unit 5 p. 59-62 (Text Features:

Captions, Determine Importance)

Routine: Review Concepts of Print. Read the title of the book and show the front cover. Establish prior knowledge, purpose,

and predictions: Provide background information or allow students to share ideas that they have based on the title or the picture.

Invite students to make predictions or pose questions about the book based on their knowledge of the author, title, topic, or

picture. Remind students to think about their predictions as you read aloud. Introduce and/or review vocabulary. Introduce

words found in the text and important words to students' comprehension. Provide opportunities for students to use the words,

either in a quick activity, or in sentences. Introduce and/or review the focus strategy. Explain to students how to use the

strategy.







Focus Strategies for During Reading:

* Determine Importance

* Summarizing

* Predictions - Explain that trying to figure out what comes next can help us understand better.

* Ask Questions

* Inferring

* Echo-Read - Have students echo-read as you track the print.

After Reading

Mini-Lesson: Making Connections with the Text

What did you find out first?

What did you find out next?

What did you learn after that?

* Encourage students to make personal connections between their lives and the text.

(23) Listening and

Speaking/Teamwor

k. Students work

productively with

others in teams.


apply earlier

standards with

greater complexity.

Students are

expected to follow

agreed-upon rules

for discussion,

including taking

turns and speaking

one at a time.

(22) Listening and

Speaking/Speaking.

Students speak

clearly and to the

point, using the

conventions of

language. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

Students are

expected to share

information and

ideas by speaking

audibly and clearly

using the

conventions of

language.

* Provide scaffolds and prompts that aid student recall, such as pictures from the text, or questions such as the

following:

* After reading, retell the text as completely as possible. Ask students to add any missing information, and model

"look backs" by rereading or directing students to reread particular sections of the text that might have been missed

during retelling.





Routine: Follow-up to focus strategy. Ask students to respond to reading by sharing their reflections and reactions. Have

students demonstrate comprehension by retelling, summarizing, discussing ideas, answering questions, or other after reading

activities. Determine an indicator of mastery for focus strategy. At a minimum, mastery should indicate a satisfactory

understanding of focus strategy, text, concepts, and enduring understandings.

* In a small group, listen to a well-known folktale or fable read aloud, and ask and respond to questions related to the

story. Discuss the purpose for listening to the story, and identify the big idea. Individually, create a story map that

includes characters, setting, and key events. Use your story map to verbally retell the story. Student Artifact: Story

Map (Animal Story)

Whole Group - Phonemic Awareness/Phonics

Introduce /o/o (initial and medial) Introduce /f/f (initial)

Phoneme Isolation - Unit 5 p. 1049, p. 1071 Phoneme Isolation - Unit 5 p. 1133, p. 1217

Photo Cards: octopus, ox, nail, carrots,

Word-Building Cards: a, m, s, p, t, h, i, c, n, o

Teaching Chart 33 Phoneme Blending - Unit 5 p. 1146

Activity Book - p. 4, p. 7-8, p. 9 Activity Book - p. 14,

Practice Book - p. 101, p. 103-104, p. 105 Practice Book - p. 107

Phoneme Blending - Unit 5 p. 1062 Review /f/f, /o/o, /m/m, /a/a, /k/c

Blend with /o/o - Unit 5 p. 1063, p. 1073 Blend Words - Unit 5 p. 1157, p. 1230, p. 1248

Review /o/o - Unit 5 p. 1072 Write Words/Sentences - Unit 5 p. 1157

Phoneme Segmentation - Unit 5 p. 1080 Phoneme Segmentation - Unit 5 p. 1171

Build Words - Unit 5 p. 1081 Blend -at , Unit 5 p. 1249

Activity Book - p. 30

Practice Book - p. 118

Whole Group - Fluency

Whole Group - Vocabulary

Oral Language: Teaching Chart 32, Unit 5, p. 1046 (Oral Vocabulary, Introduce the Theme, Build Background)

Fiction: Oral Language – “Mama Cat has Three Kittens” Unit 5, p. 1054 (Use Teaching Chart G3)

Fiction: Oral Vocabulary Cards 1 – “Mama Mouse and El Gato” Unit 5 p. 1066

Fiction: Oral Vocabulary Cards – “The Ugly Duckling” Unit 5 p. 1150

(Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary lesson and Comprehension lesson – Summarize and make inferences as appropriate.)

Mini-Lesson: High-Frequency Word Practice

Mini-Lesson: Position Words

Unit 5 p. 1061, p. 1079, p. 1145

Activity Book p. 6

Review - Unit 5 p. 1163

Write Using Position Words - Unit 5 p. 1229

(Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary lesson and Comprehension lesson – Ask and answer questions about the sequence of events.

Summarize the main events in the story.

(Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary lesson and Comprehension lesson – Make predictions based on the title and photographs,

Vocabulary Routine: Define/Example/Ask, Determine Importance)

Introduce high-frequency words: is, play. Spiral Review: to, have, go, see. Review the words using the

Read/Spell/Write routine. Use Pre-decodable readers as a source to help student practice reading high-frequency

words. Have partners reread the book together. Use high-frequency words during Morning Message, Shared Writing,

and Writing Workshop. (Teaching Chart 33, Unit 5 p. 1070, )

Fluency at this time of the year is modeled with letter naming fluency, high frequency word fluency and teacher modeling fluency

during read aloud time. Model what good readers sound like with intonation and expression. Familiar poems introduced whole

group during shared reading should be placed in poetry folders.

Grammar Mini Lesson: Sentences

Whole Group - Shared Writing

Mini-Lesson: Writing a List

Mini-Lesson: Interactive Writing: A Sentence

* Display and read aloud the list created for the Shared Writing activity.

* Tell students that today you are going to use action words to write sentences together about what kittens can do.

"Kittens can __________."

Week 2

Mini-Lesson: Writing a List

Guide: Using Photo Cards: horse, rabbit, dear , allow students to make up their own complete simple sentences about

the pictures and compare them. Guide students as they share information by identifying the who and what in their

sentences, using correct verb tense and grammatical construction while speaking audibly and clearly.

* With students, create a list of actions the kittens can do after they read Mama Cat has Three Kittens. (List Title -

"What Kittens Can Do") Write the heading for a list. Read the words with children as you track the print. Read pages

2-7 of the Big Book Mama Cat has Three Kittens aloud and display the pictures. Tell children to find the action word

on each page. Write the words on the list. Save the list for later in the week.

* Read the sentences together as you track the print. Have students suggest an action word from the Shared Writing

List or the Word Wall to complete the sentence.

* Repeat the process to write three sentences. Read the complete sentences aloud with children as you track the print.

Point out that using different the action word changes the meaning of the sentence.

* Extend the activity by working with children to write other things that Mama Cat can do. Use the sentence frame:

Mama Cat can _____.

* Display pages 2 and 3 of the Big Book story Animal Babies ABC. Ask, "How are the skins of an alligator and a bear

cub different?" Have students describe the texture of animal skins. Write the heading "It has fur" on chart paper.

Read the words together aloud as you track the print. Continue to reread the Big Book aloud. Ask students which

animals belong on the list. Write their suggestions. Save the list to use later in the week.

Model: Using the Big Book story Mama Cat has Three Kittens, introduce sentences. Show students a sentence from

the story. For example, Mama Cat walks on the wall. Tell students that this is a sentence. A sentence tells a

complete thought. Discuss the naming part of the sentence (who does something) and the telling part (what action he

or she does). Practice: Show students the illustration on pages 10-11 of the story as you say the sentence: Boris naps

in the grass. Ask students which part of the sentence does the naming and which words do the telling. Continue this

process using three or four more sentences. Have the students identify the naming part and the telling part. Consider

underlining the two parts in different colors or consider highlighting the parts so that students are able to visually see

the different parts of a sentence.

Mini-Lesson: Interactive Writing: A Sentence

* Display and read aloud the list created for the Shared Writing activity.

* Tell students that today you are going to write sentences that name an animal with fur.

* Collaborate to write the following, one word at a time:

"It is a _____________."

Writing Workshop

Task: Supporting Good Writing through Sentences, Booklets, and List

Mini-Lesson: Sentences

* Repeat the process to write three sentences. Read the complete sentences aloud with children as you track the print.

* Extend the activity by working with children to write additional sentences with information about the animal they

chose. Have them exchange their sentences with partners to learn about each other's animal.

* Have children use the list they created yesterday to suggest an animal to complete the sentence. Write the word in

the frame.

* Read the sentences together as you track the print. Have students suggest an action word from the Shared Writing

List or the Word Wall to complete the sentence.

Display the list of words about kittens' actions that students created for the Shared Writing activity. Explain to

students that they will write sentences about something they can do. First, they need to list ideas of what they can do.

Using a Think Aloud, help students brainstorm a list of actions words they can do. Prewrite: Write the sentence

frame: I can ________. Read the sentence as you track the print. Complete the sentence by writing the word run.

Share your sentence with the students. Track the print as you read aloud. Have students select an action they can do

to write about. Draft: Have students write their own name at the top of their paper. Tell students to write the

sentence frame I can _______. at the bottom of the page. Have them complete the sentence with an action word from

the list. Ask students to draw a picture that shows them performing the action. Revise and Edit: Distribute

sentences. Work with students as they check that each sentence contains an action word, a picture, appropriate

punctuation, and capitalization. Circulate and help students as they review and revise their sentences. Remind

students to capitalize "I". To extend the activity, ask students to add an additional sentence or two. Publish: Explain

to children that you will gather their action sentences to make a class book. Brainstorm a title for the class book.

Have a few students work on a cover. Write the title on the cover. Make holes alongside the cover and each page of

the book. Bind the pages together with yarn. Have students present and take turns reading and acting out their

sentences. Remind students to speak clearly, properly, and politely.

Mini-Lesson: Sentences

Small Group - With Teacher - Guided Reading

Task: Demonstrate phonological and print awareness by responding to teacher prompts.

GR Mini-Lessons to complete during this term:

* Using Fix-It Strategies When Reading

* Making Connections Using Schema

* Read High-Frequency Words

* Phonemic Identity/Phoneme Awareness

* Determining Importance

Small Group - Guided Writing

GW Mini-Lesson to complete during this term:

Display the list of furry animals and the sentences from Shared Writing and Interactive Writing activities. Explain to

students that they will write sentences about animals with tails. First they need to think of animals with tails. Using a

Think Aloud, model brainstorming animals with tails. With students, create a list of animals with tails. Prewrite:

Have students choose an animal with a tail from the list to write about. Ask them to draw a picture of their animal.

Draft: Write the frame: It is a _________. Read the sentence frame as you track the print. Complete the sentence by

writing the word tiger. Share your sentence with the students. Have students write the sentence frame and complete it

by writing the name of the animal they drew. Ask them to use their favorite color to write the first letter of the

animal's name above the picture. Revise and Edit: Distribute sentences. Work with students as they check that each

sentence contains an action word, a picture, appropriate punctuation, and capitalization. Circulate and help students as

they review and revise their sentences. To extend the activity, ask students to add an additional sentence or two.

Publish: Explain to children that you will gather their action sentences to make a class ABC animal book. Have

students help you put the pages in alphabetical order. Brainstorm a title for the class book. Have a few students work

on a cover. Write the title on the cover. Make holes alongside the cover and each page of the book. Bind the pages

together with yarn. Have students present and take turns reading and acting out their sentences. Remind students to

speak clearly, properly, and politely.

Reminder: Visit each small group a minimum of twice weekly. Tier III must be visited daily. Rearrange groups as students

master skills.* Books to be matched with Students’ appropriate level & targeted skills -- Recommend using small

leveled books for Approaching level, On level and Beyond level and Decodable Readers.

Small group mini-lessons are based on a common need. Talk to students before/during/after a piece. Ask probing questions.

Two positive comments and one improvement (tactful/specific/focused). Make an action plan (goal setting). Use rubrics and

check list before, during, and after.

Meet with students who are having difficulty putting their ideas down on paper. Have them hold the pencil and

provide them with the letters, words or structure that will help them state their ideas.

Guided Reading, Guided Writing, Assessing, Conferring

Small Group - Word Work

Word with a, m, s, p, t, h, i, c, n, o and high-frequency words.

Possible Student Artifacts:

Word Sort, using CVC pattern

Create words with word families

Create nonsensical words

Practice book activities

Create letters using objects (cereal, macaroni, popcorn, cotton balls)

see LiveBinder for additional Word Work resources

Small Group - Read to Self -or- Listening to Reading

Collaboration 1 - Read to Someone

Using Leveled Readers: Matching Game Determining Importance Practice

Story Map: Animal Story

Phonemic Awareness Practice Activities

Handwriting Practice

Vocabulary Practice

Writing: Sentences (2)

Extension Activity: Animal Book

Writing Extension (more challenging) Scaffolds for ELL

Suggestions: Books with animal related stories or information, books with labels, and leveled readers. Also include small

predictable books that have been read aloud in class, poetry binders, read-around the room, or pocket charts.

Accountability: Consider allowing students to illustrate and write a sentence about the story. Prompt: Write a sentence about

a character you have read in a story. Prompt: Retell the story using Beginning, Middle, and End graphic organizer

Sustained silent reading is a period of uninterrupted silent reading. Depending on independence and stamina, provide adequate

minutes for students to enjoy independent reading.

Independent Practice with Conferring

Practice Task (s) Student/Teacher Conferring

As you confer, make sure that the sentences make sense and are in the

necessary order. If changes need to be made, have the student hold the

pencil and make the changes with you. All the writing on their paper

should be their own.

Circulate and help students add detail to their picture and sentence (such as

a color word). Conference with the students who are not progressing in

independent sentence writing. Assist them with ideas and listen as they tell

you their story with words. Provide assistance as necessary.

As you confer with the students be mindful of the developmental

differences. Students will most likely be at different stages of writing. Work

with the student from their current place and encourage them to stretch

themselves.

Collaborative Learning

Collaboration 2 Collaboration 3

Have students work with a partner. Choose

one of the 3 ways to read a book. Students

will take turns reading a text to each other and

asking questions about the story. Direct

students to ask each other questions about the

text, such as what was the story about? Who

are the characters? Etc.

Create a matching game with several animal

mothers and babies, such as cat, dog, bear,

tiger, and pig. Create a mother card (on

cardstock) that matches with a baby card.

Have students math mother and baby. Glue

on a piece of construction paper. Students

must match at least three.

Using the Leveled Readers, ask students to

work with a partner. Allow partners to talk

turns reading to each other and asking each

other the "Determining Importance

Thinking Stems". (for example - What is

the most important thing the author wants

me to know?)

Instructional Extensions and Modification

Extension Supporting ELL Suggestions for Interventions By now, teachers should have a well-

established routine for pulling small groups

for support as needed. The TPRI

Intervention Guide is an excellent resource

for appropriate activities based on

individual needs.

My Animal Book

Possible Resources

* Check comprehension frequently.

* Use outlines to scaffold comprehension.

* Teach students how to decode words.

* Give students practice with new words.

Teacher-created Assessments

Review and Assess the weekly skills reviewed/learned:

Phonics - Sounds /n/n and /k/c Unit Assessment

Sound/Spelling - Initial and Medial Sound Fluency

Fluency - Word Automaticity

Comprehension - Summarization, Determining Importance

Spiral Review - Identifying Character, Setting, Plot

* Teach students to actively engage with

the vocabulary.

* Use pictures from the internet to

scaffold comprehension.

* Use anchor charts to reinforce concepts.

Assessment

Formative Summative

* Scaffold instruction using components

of Balanced LiteracyAt the beginning of the week, students will

create a booklet by stapling a few blank

pages inside of a piece of colored paper.

Ask students to create a title of their book,

such as "My Animal Book". Allow

students to select a given animal and ask

them to find out three facts about it what it

looks like, where it lives, and any additional

fact that they find interesting. Students

should create three pages inside their book.

One page one, draw a picture of the animal

and write a sentence(s) about the animal.

On page two, draw a picture of the animal's

habitat and write a sentence. On page three,

draw a picture of the animal and its baby.

Write a sentence about it.

* Use graphic organizers to scaffold

comprehension, reading, and writing.

* Use questioning strategies to

accommodate English language

* Group students for optimal

opportunities to learn cooperatively.

Texas Treasures Interventions (see Unit 5

pgs. 1090-1115, 1174-1199, and 1258-

1283) – choose component(s) of reading

(phonemic awareness, phonics,

comprehension, fluency, vocabulary) to re-

teach and practice based on student needs.

Observe students throughout the week as they complete assignments,

respond orally in class, and read aloud.

Key: Lessons for Metacognitive Strategies are RED, Lessons for Read Aloud are GREEN, Lessons for Phonemic Awareness/Phonics/Word Study are

ORANGE, Lessons for Vocabulary are BLUE, Lessons for Writing are PURPLE.

Progress Monitoring: (TPRI and/or Unit 5 Diagnostic

Assessment)

By now, teachers should have a well-

established routine for pulling small groups

for support as needed. The TPRI

Intervention Guide is an excellent resource

for appropriate activities based on

individual needs.

Unit Learning Standards and Core Concepts

Unit 9 is out of numerical order to accommodate a more integrated unit on Animals.

Major Concepts:

Phonemic Awareness - Phoneme Isolation; Phoneme Blending; Phoneme Segmentation; Phoneme Addition

Vocabulary - High-Frequency Words she, he, has, look ; Selection Vocabulary

Comprehension - Summarize; Main Idea and Details; Compare and Contrast; Distinguish between Fantasy and Reality

Fluency - Echo-Read; Word Automaticity; Read for Fluency; Choral-Read

Grammar/Mechanics: Pronouns

Writing - Descriptive Sentences, Questions and Answers, Summary

Assessment - Six Weeks Assessment

Performance Task:

* Demonstrate phonological and print awareness by responding to teacher prompts.

Processes:

1.A - Recognize that spoken words can be represented by print for communication;

1.B - Identify upper- and lower-case letters;

1.C - Demonstrate the one-to-one correspondence between a spoken word and a printed word in text;

1.D - Recognize the difference between a letter and a printed word;

1.F - Hold a book right side up, turn its pages correctly, and know that reading moves from top to bottom and left to right; and

1.G - Identify different parts of a book (e.g., front and back covers, title page).

2.A - Identify a sentence made up of a group of words;

2.B - Identify syllables in spoken words;

2.C - Orally generate rhymes in response to spoken words (e.g., "What rhymes with hat?");

2.D - Distinguish orally presented rhyming pairs of words from non-rhyming pairs;

2.F - Blend spoken onsets and rimes to form simple words (e.g., onset/c/ and rime/at/ make cat);

2.G - Blend spoken phonemes to form one-syllable words (e.g.,/m/ …/a/ …/n/ says man);

2.H - Isolate the initial sound in one-syllable spoken words; and

2.I - Segment spoken one-syllable words into two to three phonemes (e.g., dog:/d/ …/o/ …/g/).

3.A - Identify the common sounds that letters represent;

* Recite a short poem demonstrating knowledge of rhythm and rhyme by identifying the beat (e.g., clapping) and similarities in

word sounds (e.g., emphasizing rhyming words).* Read or listen to an informational text. In a small group, discuss the purpose for reading or listening to the text and identify

topics and details. Individually, draw pictures to illustrate important facts from the text. Speak using complete simple sentences

to tell others about your illustration.

1.E - Recognize that sentences are comprised of words separated by spaces and demonstrate the awareness of word boundaries

(e.g., through kinesthetic or tactile actions such as clapping and jumping);

2.E - Recognize spoken alliteration or groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound (e.g., "baby boy

bounces the ball");

(1) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Print

Awareness.

(2) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Phonological

Awareness.

(3) Reading/Beginn

ing Reading

Skills/Phonics.

Students use the

relationships

between letters and

sounds, spelling

patterns, and

morphological

analysis to decode

written English.

(4) Reading/Beginn

ing

Reading/Strategies.

Students

comprehend a

variety of texts

drawing on useful


(5) Reading/Vocab

ulary Development.

Students understand

new vocabulary and

use it correctly

when reading and

writing.

English Language Arts and Reading Curriculum Overview Kindergarten 4th Six Weeks - Week 4, 5, and 6

Topic/Theme: Amazing Creatures (Unit 9)

Learning Standards

Reading

Phonics/Word Study - Introduce /g/g (Initial and Final), Introduce /w/w (Initial), Introduce /v/v (initial), Introduce /ks/x

(Final) Word Families: -et, -ot, -ox, -ix, -ed, -en

3.C - Recognize that new words are created when letters are changed, added, or deleted; and

3.D - Identify and read at least 25 high-frequency words from a commonly used list.

4.A - Predict what might happen next in text based on the cover, title, and illustrations; and

4.B - Ask and respond to questions about texts read aloud.

5.A - Identify and use words that name actions, directions, positions, sequences, and locations;

6.A - Identify elements of a story including setting, character, and key events;

6.B - Discuss the big idea (theme) of a well-known folktale or fable and connect it to personal experience;

6.C - Recognize sensory details; and

6.D - Recognize recurring phrases and characters in traditional fairy tales, lullabies, and folktales from various cultures.

8.A - Retell a main event from a story read aloud; and

8.B - Describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions.

10.A - Identify the topic and details in expository text heard or read, referring to the words and/or illustrations;

10.B - Retell important facts in a text, heard or read;

10.C - Discuss the ways authors group information in text; and

10.D - Use titles and illustrations to make predictions about text.

13.A - Plan a first draft by generating ideas for writing through class discussion;

13.B - Develop drafts by sequencing the action or details in the story;

13.C - Revise drafts by adding details or sentences;

13.D - Edit drafts by leaving spaces between letters and words; and

13.E - Share writing with others.

14.A - Dictate or write sentences to tell a story and put the sentences in chronological sequence;

16.B - Speak in complete sentences to communicate; and

Essential Question (s): Literature Connection (s)

Informational Text Questions: Beetles (Expository)

What is the main idea and the details to support it? Fish Faces (Expository)

How can you retell the story using the important If the Dinosaurs Came Back (Fantasy)

parts from the beginning, middle, and end? Big Book of Explorations (all three weeks)

Leveled Readers:

Content Questions:

What are some unusual creatures you have seen? Decodable: Bug in a Web, A Vet Can Fix It!, Pat and the Vet

What do you know about insects? Approaching: Bugs, Look in the Box!, Look at the Dog

What insect story do you find most fascinating? On Level: Insects, Down in the Ocean, Big Ben

What kinds of animals live in the oceans?

What do different sea creatures do all day?

If a dinosaur was here, what would it look like? ELL: The Insects, The Ocean, Big Dog

How big are dinosaurs? Teacher Selected Reading

Classroom Library

School Library

3.B - Use knowledge of letter-sound relationships to decode regular words in text and independent of content (e.g., VC, CVC,

CCVC, and CVCC words);

17.A - Form upper- and lower-case letters legibly using the basic conventions of print (left-to-right and top-to-bottom

progression);

Beyond: About Insects, The Amazing Ocean, Paul Bunyan and the Blue

Ox

* See Response Cards for Informational Text in

the Kindergarten LiveBinder

What animal did you choose to research for your

project? Why?

(5) Reading/Vocab

ulary Development.

Students understand

new vocabulary and

use it correctly

when reading and

writing.

(6) Reading/Compr


Text/Theme and

Genre. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

theme and genre in

different cultural,

historical, and

contemporary

contexts and

provide evidence

from the text to

support their

understanding.

Books to be matched with Students’ appropriate level & targeted skills --

Recommend using small leveled books for Approaching level, On level and

Beyond level, Decodable Readers

(7) Reading/Compr


Text/Poetry.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of poetry

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.

Students are

expected to respond

to rhythm and

rhyme in poetry

through identifying

a regular beat and


sounds.

(8) Reading/Compr


Text/Fiction.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of fiction

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.

Media Connection (s) Instructional Resources

Texas Treasures (Macmillan/McGraw Hill) Teachers Edition

Texas Treasures (Macmillan/McGraw Hill) Student Edition

Daily Five

iStation

Metacognitive Strategies - Determining Importance

* Determining Importance: As I read, I decide what the main ideas are and what the author's message is to help

me understand what I am reading.

(9) Reading/Compr

ehension of

Informational

Text/Culture and

History. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about


in cultural,

historical, and

contemporary

contexts and

provide evidence

from the text to

support their

understanding.

Students are


the topic of an

informational text

heard.

Please visit the WOCCISD LiveBinder for the

Media Connections related to this unit.

Focus Lesson/Direct Instruction/Modeling

Whenever possible, teachers should try to help the students engage background knowledge before reading, and talking about a new theme

is just one way to do this. Activating prior knowledge puts the students in the right frame of mind to approach the text.

• Introduce the Theme - Amazing Creatures: Engage students by stating "Creatures come in all shapes and sizes. Ask, "What

are some unusual creatures you have seen?" Make a list with student answers. Let students know that, during this unit, the class

will be talking about unusual creatures, including insects, fishes, and dinosaurs. Say, "This week we will be discussing insects."

Ask students what they know about insects. As a group, discuss the characteristics of insects. (antennae, wings, three pair of

legs, 3 body parts) Show various examples of different insects to compare characteristics. With the class complete a

classification T-chart. The two columns should be "insect" and "not an insect". Collect various pictures of different creatures

(include at least three insects and three non-insects). Ask students to identify the insects, based on the characteristics discussed.

Have students place the animals in the appropriate column. Class Artifact: List: Unusual Creatures Student Artifact:

Classification Charts

(8) Reading/Compr


Text/Fiction.

Students

understand, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

the structure and

elements of fiction

and provide

evidence from text

to support their

understanding.







Mini-Lesson: Nonfiction - What's Important #1

Mini-Lesson: Nonfiction - What's Important #2

Mini-Lesson: Finding Nonfiction Features

Labels help the reader understand the small parts of a picture.

Photographs help the reader see what the real topic looks like.

Captions help the reader understand what they are looking at in a picture.

Comparisons help the reader compare the item to something they are already familiar with.

Cross Sections help the reader see what something looks like from the inside.

Maps help the reader know where something is located in the world.


Determining Importance to summarize. Understanding how the text is organized is an important part of the process of

determining importance. As you read nonfiction texts to/with your students, talk about how they are organized.

During modeled, guided, and shared reading, discuss the text and special features of nonfiction texts, their purpose,

and how they help readers better understand the text. Discuss author's purpose. Encourage students to transfer the

skills you are working on to their own independent reading time at school and home. Encourage the use of special

words such as topics, main ideas, details, fact/true, nonfiction text features (and terms related to them...see next

lesson!), and author's purpose. see NONFICTION Reading Skills Chart in Live Binder


Determining Importance to summarize.

* Understanding how the text is organized is an important part of the process of determining importance. As you read

nonfiction texts to/with your students, talk about how they are organized. During modeled, guided, and shared reading,

discuss the special features of nonfiction texts, their purpose, and how they help readers better understand the text.

Discuss author's purpose.* Encourage students to transfer the skills you are working on to their own independent reading time at school and

home. Encourage the use of special words such as heading, caption, graph, comparison, map, label, table of contents,

index, glossary, photograph, map, sketch, illustration, cutaway, close-up, etc. Create posters featuring examples of

nonfiction text features. see Nonfiction Text Conventions Chart in Live Binder

(9) Reading/Compr

ehension of

Informational

Text/Culture and

History. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about


in cultural,

historical, and

contemporary

contexts and

provide evidence

from the text to

support their

understanding.

Students are


the topic of an

informational text

heard.

(10) Reading/Comp

rehension of

Informational

Text/Expository

Text. Students

analyze, make

inferences and draw

conclusions about

expository text, and

provide evidence

from text to support

their

understanding.

Writing

(13) Writing/Writin

g Process. Students

use elements of the

writing process


revising, editing,

and publishing) to

compose text.

(14) Writing/Litera

ry Texts. Students

write literary texts

to express their

ideas and feelings

about real or

imagined people,

events, and ideas.

Oral and Written

Conventions

(16) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Conve

ntions. Students

understand the

function of and use

the conventions of

academic language

when speaking and

writing. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

* Students will observe the differences between a nonfiction book and a fiction book. Students will discover the 11

features found in many nonfiction books and evaluate whether a book is fiction or nonfiction.

Preparation: Gather lots of nonfiction books from your own library or school library. Try to make them diverse in

topic, reading level, and writing style. Make a T-chart with the left side heading being Feature Name and the right

side heading being Purpose. (or use the Nonfiction Text Conventions Chart in LiveBinder) Make or gather notebooks

for the students to record the name, purpose, and an example of each feature.

* Gather the students on the carpet or in a group area. Ask them if they have noticed or know where to find nonfiction

books within your classroom library. Ask what they think the difference is between fiction and nonfiction. They

should already have an understanding that nonfiction is real information.

* Discuss what makes a story nonfiction or fiction. Is it real (true) that Cinderella's godmother turned a pumpkin into

a carriage? Is it possible that Jack really climbed a beanstalk and met a giant? We know these things are fictional

because they can't happen. Nonfiction teaches us real, factual information. It is important to notice whether a book is

nonfiction or fiction when reading because you need to know if the information is accurate or just a story.* Inform them that for the next few days they are going to be finding different types of features or conventions within

nonfiction.

* The following is a list of all the features and their purposes. You can decide the number and order in which you will

teach them each day.

Types of Print help the reader know that the word or words are important.

Close-Ups help the reader see what something looks like from up close.

Tables of Contents help the reader know how the book is organized.

Indexes help the reader find specific information in a book.

Glossaries help the reader understand the definitions of important words in the book.

* Introduce the name of the feature.

* Discuss and record on the class chart what the class thinks is the purpose of each feature.

Mini-Lesson: Finding Nonfiction Features #2

* Review Nonfiction Features, by referring to the Nonfiction Text Conventions Chart.

Mini-Lesson: What's the Difference?

Mini-Lesson: Mixed Bags: Fiction and Nonfiction

(19) Research/Rese

arch Plan. Students

ask open-ended

research questions

and develop a plan

for answering them.

(with adult

assistance)

Preparation: Create multiple book bags containing one fiction and one nonfiction book on the same topic. Prepare

one bag for every two students. Books will vary according to grade level. (Examples of some good pairs include:

Days With Frog and Toad paired with From Tadpole to Frog, Gregory the Terrible Eater paired with Eating Right ,

The Adventure of Spider paired with Insects and Spiders, Little Polar Bear and the Brave Little Hare paired with

Polar Mammals. You will be surprised at how many matches you can find in your own library and Literacy Library!

* In order to understand nonfiction as a genre, it is useful to compare and contrast it to fiction. This lesson uses bags

(paper or cloth) filled with matching fiction and nonfiction books to help the students discover the differences.

Students will explore the contents of their "mixed bags" - nonfiction and fiction books. Student will determine the

differences and similarities between fiction and nonfiction. Students will share their findings with the class to create a

classroom resource. This activity should be completed together, as a whole group, using teacher modeling and a think

aloud. Create a class-sized Book Bag T-Chart on the board or on chart paper. see Book Bag T-Chart in the

LiveBinder

(16) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Conve

ntions. Students

understand the

function of and use

the conventions of

academic language

when speaking and

writing. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

* Prior to the lesson, decide how many features per day and which ones you will be teaching. Use the following

routine for the introduction of each feature.

* Show many different examples of the feature in nonfiction books. (The use of real literature helps students

understand the importance of each one.)

(17) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Handw

riting,

Capitalization, and

Punctuation.

Students write

legibly and use

appropriate

capitalization and

punctuation

conventions in their

compositions. (18) Oral and

Written

Conventions/Spellin

g. Students spell

correctly.

Research

(20) Research/Gath

ering Sources.

Students determine,

locate, and explore

the full range of

relevant sources

addressing a

research question

and systematically

record the

information they

gather. (with adult

assistance)

* Have students write the name and purpose of the feature in their notebooks. Then have them hunt through

nonfiction books to find their own example of the feature and record it in their notebook.* Each feature should be taught individually even if you are teaching more than one a day. The same applies to

making the chart and sharing notebook findings. Make sure the students really have a grasp on the vocabulary of the

different features.

* On the final day of features, hand out the Nonfiction Feature Find (PDF). Tell the students that now that they are

experts, they must find all the different conventions and record their findings on the worksheet.* As a culminating point of features, allow them to share their findings and add them to the class chart. Hang the chart

the class created and keep it up through the next lessons and until you are done teaching nonfiction. It will prove to be

a valuable resource when the students are reading or writing nonfiction.* Always take into consideration your students' personalities and learning styles. When they are off hunting through

books, check in with the ones who may need more assistance. Also, have some books in mind that have each of the

features in them, so that you can guide some of the struggling learners to the right books. Some features are definitely

harder to find than others. Make sure you have resources for all the features.

* Compare the differences and similarities between how fiction and nonfiction texts are organized. Draw a large Venn

Diagram on chart/butcher paper. After you've discussed how fiction and nonfiction texts are organized, and after

students are beginning to notice and use key words for each (see previous three lessons), take time to compare and

contrast fiction and nonfiction text organization. see Fiction vs. Nonfiction Venn Diagram in LiveBinder

* Gather students on the carpet and discuss what you already know about nonfiction.

* Post the chart somewhere in the room for the students to use as a resource. This is a GREAT Anchor of Support.

Mini-Lesson: Determining What's Important

* Record the students’ comments on the chart paper or board.

* Explain the meaning of identifying details.

* Illustrate this point with a made-up example.

* Tell students how they might have already used identifying important details strategies.

* Read the first part of the book, pausing at appropriate places to comment on important information.

* Encourage these students to explain how each detail supports the main idea.

* Show students the book (the front cover, back cover, and some of the pages) and ask them to predict what the book

will be about. This will prepare them for the substance of the book and aid their comprehension as you read.

* Say, "Today we are going to read a book entitled _____________________ by _________________. What do you

think this book is about? What do you think we will learn from this book?"

* Say, "Today, we are going to work on finding the most important details in this book. Everything you read has a

main idea. It is the most important thought or piece of information from the book. It tells the overall idea of the book.

Important details are used to support the main idea.

* Finish reading the book. Say, “Let’s talk about what we have learned from this book and see if we can identify the

most important details. Remember that the details will support the main idea. The details should give important

information. What happened in the book? Who did what? Why? What does it look like?” Record students’ comments

on the chart paper or board.

* Determine the most important details using the information from the chart paper or board. Say, “Now let’s look at

our list. It looks like we were able to gather some good information about our topic. Let’s look at each detail on our

list. Let’s figure out which are the three most important details. When you identify the most important details, you are

able to understand the book better.”

* Ask each student to choose the three details they think are the most important. They should be able to explain why

they chose each one. You may choose to have students share with a partner; otherwise, call on students to share their

ideas with the class.

* Introduce the idea of book bags as sets of books on the same topic. Explain that one book is fiction and one book is

nonfiction. It is their job to tell the difference between the two books and make observations.

* Match the students with their partners and hand out the Book Bags T-Chart worksheet. They are to record whatever

observations they make on the sheet to share later. Hand each partnership one book bag.* Allow the students to work with their partner and record their observations on the T-chart. Allow about 15-20

minutes of work.

* Regroup on the carpet and share the findings from the partners. Record any interesting observations on the chart

labeled: "What we noticed about nonfiction books."* The next day, go through the same lesson, but with different book bags for different groups. At the end, record any

new observations on T-charts. Repeat another day if you find it necessary or helpful. Or, if you have enough book

bags, allow the students to try to complete the T-chart independently and share their findings.

* In order to understand nonfiction as a genre, it is useful to compare and contrast it to fiction. This lesson uses bags

(paper or cloth) filled with matching fiction and nonfiction books to help the students discover the differences.

Students will explore the contents of their "mixed bags" - nonfiction and fiction books. Student will determine the

differences and similarities between fiction and nonfiction. Students will share their findings with the class to create a

classroom resource. This activity should be completed together, as a whole group, using teacher modeling and a think

aloud. Create a class-sized Book Bag T-Chart on the board or on chart paper. see Book Bag T-Chart in the

LiveBinder

* Using teacher modeling and a think aloud, identify basic similarities and differences between two texts on the same

topic (e.g. illustrations, descriptions, etc.)

* With prompting and support, complete the class-sized Book Bag T-Chart with the basic similarities and differences

between the two books. Share findings with the class and list the findings on the T-Chart.

(20) Research/Gath

ering Sources.

Students determine,

locate, and explore

the full range of

relevant sources

addressing a

research question

and systematically

record the

information they

gather. (with adult

assistance)

Listening and

Speaking

(21) Listening and

Speaking/Listening.

Students use

comprehension

skills to listen

attentively to others

in formal and

informal settings.


apply earlier

standards with

greater complexity.

(22) Listening and

Speaking/Speaking.

Students speak

clearly and to the

point, using the

conventions of

language. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

Students are

expected to share

information and

ideas by speaking

audibly and clearly

using the

conventions of

language.

Mini-Lesson: Web What's Important

Whole Group - Read Aloud

Week 1

Expository - Big Book: “Beetles” p. 2087 (Summarize, Ask Questions, Classify and Categorize, Make Connections)

Fiction - Read Aloud Anthology "The Rabbit and the Elephant" (Model asking questions, fluent reading, vocabulary)

Week 2

Week 3

Fiction - Read Aloud Anthology – “Tyler's Trip to the Library” p. 133-137 (text - Fiction/Folktale)

Before Reading

During Reading

Expository: Big Book – "Fish Faces", Unit 9 pg. 2171, 2180-2184 (Text features, Summarize, Ask Questions, Compare and

Contrast)

Preparation: Select a fiction or nonfiction text. Use a graphic organizer to record "What's Important" as you read.

Do this several times for both fiction and nonfiction texts.* Model for students by writing your thoughts. Think out loud as you write, explaining why you decided to include it

on the chart. End by using the chart to summarize the book.

* Guide the class as they share their thoughts while you read. Have them explain why they decided the detail was

important and why it should be included on the chart. End by using the chart to summarize the book.

* Encourage independent practice. Provide a copy of the graphic organizer chart for students to use as they read

independently.

Mentor Text During Read Aloud (see also LiveBinder) - Stories, pictures, poems related to animals and animal-related themes.

Fiction - “The Ant and the Grasshopper (p. 33-38)” Big Book of Explorations - Unit 9 pg. 2108 (Retell and Respond, Visual

Retelling, Determining Importance)

Routine: Review Concepts of Print. Read the title of the book and show the front cover. Establish prior knowledge, purpose,

and predictions: Provide background information or allow students to share ideas that they have based on the title or the picture.

Invite students to make predictions or pose questions about the book based on their knowledge of the author, title, topic, or

picture. Remind students to think about their predictions as you read aloud. Introduce and/or review vocabulary. Introduce

words found in the text and important words to students' comprehension. Provide opportunities for students to use the words,

either in a quick activity, or in sentences. Introduce and/or review the focus strategy. Explain to students how to use the

strategy.





(22) Listening and

Speaking/Speaking.

Students speak

clearly and to the

point, using the

conventions of

language. Students

continue to apply

earlier standards

with greater

complexity.

Students are

expected to share

information and

ideas by speaking

audibly and clearly

using the

conventions of

language.

(23) Listening and

Speaking/Teamwor

k. Students work

productively with

others in teams.


apply earlier

standards with

greater complexity.

Students are

expected to follow

agreed-upon rules

for discussion,

including taking

turns and speaking

one at a time.

Poetry: “Sea Animals and I Don't Suppose (p. 39-40)” Big Book of Explorations Vol. 2 Unit 9 page. 2192 (Literary Element:

Identify Rhyme/Rhyme Schemes, Preview and Predict)

Fiction - Read Aloud Anthology "The Fisherman and His Wife (p. 128-132)" (Asking questions, determine importance,

summarize, vocabulary)

Trade Book: "If the Dinosaurs Came Back" (Predict, Ask Questions, Distinguish between Fantasy and Reality, Determine

Importance)

Non-Fiction: “Feet First (p. 41-44)” Big Book of Explorations Vol. 2 - Unit 9 pg. 2276 (text feature - diagrams and labels,

determine importance)

Focus Strategies for During Reading:

* Identify Main Ideas and Details

* Predictions - Explain that trying to figure out what comes next can help us understand better.

* Ask Questions

* Summarize

* Phonics - Recognizing words that begin with previously-studied sounds.

* Echo-Read - Have students echo-read as you track the print.

After Reading

What did you find out first?

What did you find out next?

What did you learn after that?

See also informational text question prompts in LiveBinder

* Encourage students to make personal connections between their lives and the text.

* After reading, retell the text as completely as possible. Ask students to add any missing information, and model

"look backs" by rereading or directing students to reread particular sections of the text that might have been missed

during retelling.

* Provide scaffolds and prompts that aid student recall, such as pictures from the text, or questions such as the

following:





Routine: Follow-up to focus strategy. Ask students to respond to reading by sharing their reflections and reactions. Have

students demonstrate comprehension by retelling, summarizing, discussing ideas, answering questions, or other after reading

activities. Determine an indicator of mastery for focus strategy. At a minimum, mastery should indicate a satisfactory

understanding of focus strategy, text, concepts, and enduring understandings.

Mini-Lesson: Visually Summarizing - Using Graphic Organizers

* Ask students to summarize texts visually, using mental images. Ideas:

* After reading a text, have students visually represent the beginning, middle, and end of the story.

Student Artifact: Visual Summary Graphic Organizer

Whole Group - Phonemic Awareness/Phonics

Introduce /g/g (Initial and Final) Introduce /v/v (Initial) Review /g/g, /v/v,/w/w , Final /g/g, /ks/x

Introduce /w/w (Initial) Introduce /ks/x (Final) Word Families: -et, -ot, -ox, -ix, -ed, -en

Phoneme Isolation - Unit 9 pg. 2089, 2111 Phoneme Isolation - p. 2173 Phonemic Awareness - p. 2257

Phonics - Unit 9 pg. 2090 Phonics - p. 2174 Phonics - pg. 2258

Teaching Chart 57 Teaching Chart 59 Phoneme Addition - pg. 2270

Activity Book pg. 4, 10 Activity Book, p. 14 Blend with -et, -ot - pg. 2271

Practice Book p. 181, 186 Practice Book, p. 187 Phoneme Blending - pg. 2279

Phoneme Blending - Unit 9, pg. 2102, pg. 2121 Phoneme Blending, p. 2186 Blend with -ox, ix - pg. 2280

Phoneme Identity - Unit 9, pg. 2112 Phoneme Identify - p. 2196

Review and Assess: Unit 9 pg. 2127 Phoneme Addition - p. 2204

Whole Group - Fluency

Preparation: When demonstrating summarizing, I read the text aloud to students and stop after every page or few

pages and talk about the most important thing that’s happening and how I made that decision. I explain that readers

and writers need to know how to decide what’s most important so a text makes sense, and they also need to stop

reading and reread or seek help when they don’t know. Then, I use shared and guided opportunities to teach students

to pick out the most important parts of a text. Once students can do this well, which typically takes several weeks or

even months, I say, “What we’ve been learning and doing – deciding what the most important parts of the text are ---

is called summarizing.” Now students have the background experience to understand what the term means. – Regie

Routman

* As you read the story, have students draw their mental image. Continue reading and then stop again to have

students sketch their current mental image. Continue several times until the story ends.

* There are many types of graphic organizers that you could use. I suggest using one at a time. Continue using it, until

students use it well independently. Then introduce another type of graphic organizer. Make graphic organizers

available for students to use during independent and partner reading.

Fluency is modeled with letter naming fluency, high frequency word fluency (automaticity) and teacher modeling fluency during

Read Aloud time. Model what good readers sound like with intonation and expression. Familiar songs and poems introduced

whole group during shared reading should be placed in poetry folders.

Whole Group - Vocabulary


Informational: Oral Vocabulary Cards – “Insect Hide and Seek” Unit 9 pg. 2106

(Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary lesson and Comprehension lesson – Summarize)

Week 2


Week 3


Mini-Lesson: High-Frequency Word Practice

* Unit 9, pg. 2088, pg. 2172, pg. 2256

* Teaching Chart 57, 59, 61

* Decodable Readers: Bug in a Web, Bug in a Web, A Vet Can Fix It!, Pat and the Vet

* Activity Book p. 7-8, 17-18

* Practice Book p. 183-184, 189-190

Mini-Lesson: Opposites

Opposites - Unit 9 p. 2101, p. 2119, p. 2269

Whole Group - Shared Writing

Mini-Lesson: List of Questions

Mini-Lesson: Interactive Writing: Sentences

A beetle is an insect.

Beetles live on _____ or in _____.

Bettles ________ fly.

Beetles eat __________.

Beetles are _________.

* Continue reading the Big Book and asking students to make up questions that can be answered by the sentences.

Write the questions on the list. Tell students to use words like what, why, and how to begin their sentences. Save the

questions for other writing activities.

* Revisit the list of questions created in yesterday's activity. Display and read aloud the questions. Say, "Today we

are going to write sentences that answer the questions we wrote yesterday." Collaborate with students to write the

following sentence frames:

* Model by reading page 4 of the Big Book aloud. Complete each sentence with a word the student supplies. Write

their responses. Ask students to write the letters and words that they know. Point out that each question ends with a

question mark and each answer sentences ends with a period.

Fiction: Oral Vocabulary Cards – “When Water Came to Visit” Unit 9 pg. 2190 (Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary lesson and

Comprehension lesson – Make predictions based on the title and photographs. Confirm as you read text.)

Review high-frequency words. Review the words using the Read/Spell/Write routine. Use decodable readers as a

source to help student practice reading high-frequency words. Have partners reread the book together. Use high-

frequency words during Morning Message, Shared Writing, and Writing Workshop.

* After reading Beetles, remind students that they learned many things about the insects called beetles. Tell students

that they will use the sentences in the Big Book to write a list of questions about beetles.

* Model by reading page 4 of the Big Book aloud. Point out that the sentence, "A beetle is an insect." tells an

important fact about beetles. It could answer the question, "What is a beetle?" Write the sentence on the list.

Fiction: Oral Vocabulary Cards – “Powerful Plant-Eating Dinosaurs” Unit 9 pg. 2274 (Read aloud for Robust Vocabulary

lesson and Comprehension lesson – Make predictions based on the title and photographs. Confirm as you read text.)

Week 2

Mini-Lesson: A List

Mini-Lesson: Interactive Writing: Sentences

Some fish are ___________.

Some fish are ___________.

Grammar Mini-Lesson: Pronouns

* Afterward, ask students to identify the naming word in each sentence and the pronoun that replaced it.

Teaching Resources for Pronouns

Link to SMART exchange Pronoun Lessons:

Unit 9 page 2176, pg. 2260

Use the Big Book, Beetles, to introduce the concept of pronouns. Point to the photo on page 21 as you say: He is

looking at some interesting beetles. Tell students that the pronoun he replaced the boy's name. Make up pairs of

sentences about students in the class. Use a naming word in the first sentence and a pronoun in the second. Say, for

example: Amy is wearing red shoes. She is wearing red shoes. Tell students the name of the person, then the

pronoun that replaced it. Practice using the Photo Cards nurse, doctor, teeth and upside down.

* Have students identify each picture. Model saying sentence pairs about the pictures. Remember to use a naming

word in the first sentence and a pronoun in the second.

* Have students make up their own sentences about the pictures. Guide them to use a pronoun and to use complete,

coherent sentences. Student Artifact: Pronoun Sentences

http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=%22pronouns%22&subject=All+subjects&grade=Pre-

Kindergarten&grade=Kindergarten&grade=Grade+1&region=en_US

* Model by reading page 4 of the Big Book aloud. Complete each sentence with a word the student supplies. Write

their responses. Ask students to write the letters and words that they know. Point out that each question ends with a

question mark and each answer sentences ends with a period.

* After reading the Big Book Fish Faces, remind students that they saw pictures of amazing fish that live in the ocean.

The fish come in different shapes, sizes, and colors. With the class, create a list of the different characteristics of the

fish. Title your chart - Some fish are: . Model by reading page 8 of the Big Book aloud. Ask students to identify the

descriptive words. Write the words on the list. Read the completed list together. Have student suggest other words to

describe the fish in the Big Book and add them to the list. Show students how to make a list. Save the list for another

activity.

* Revisit the list created during Shared Writing. Display and read aloud the list. Say, "Today we are going to write

sentences that describe the fish in the ocean." Collaborate with students to write the following sentence frames:

* Have students suggest a word to complete the first sentence, using the list they created. Collaborate with them to

write a word in a frame. Have students suggest a word to complete the sentence. On the second sentence, have

students find a word that is the opposite of the word they used to complete the first sentence. Read the completed

sentences aloud with children as you track the print. Point out that choosing words that are opposite or that rhyme.

To extend the activity, students can write sentences that describe other sea creatures.

http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=%22pronouns%22&subject=All+subjects&grade=Pre-Kindergarten&grade=Kindergarten&grade=Grade+1&region=en_US

http://exchange.smarttech.com/search.html?q=%22pronouns%22&subject=All+subjects&grade=Pre-Kindergarten&grade=Kindergarten&grade=Grade+1&region=en_US

Writing Workshop

Week 1

Lesson: Descriptive Sentences

Weeks 2 and 3

Lesson #1: All About Books (Defining All-About text and Brainstorming Topics)

Mentor Text: see LiveBinder

* Students will gather and organize information about a familiar topic.

* Students will write an informational text including three or more sentences on a related topic.

* Students will use nonfiction text features, including headings, diagrams, and table of contents.

* Students will correctly use pronouns.

* Say, “As writers, let’s think about topics we already know a lot about. Close your eyes and tell yourself, in your

private voice, something you know a lot about. Raise your hand to share your idea.” Have students share topics and

record their ideas on a chart students can refer to and add to throughout this unit. “Choose a topic you know at least

three facts about. Turn and talk with your partner and tell at least three facts about your topic.” Optional: Provide

different all-about texts to partners and have them explore, looking for different features. See attached page for

features of all-about text. As partners are exploring, point out features and give a name to each if students are unable.

Class Artifact: All-About Topics Chart

* Display the list and sentences from Shared and Interactive Writing activities. Prewrite: Explain that children will

write their own descriptive sentences about fish (or another ocean animal). First they need to think about the words

that describe the fish (or other animal). Write the following sentence frame on the board: Some fish are ________.

Have students write the sentence frame four times and complete each sentence by writing a descriptive word. Remind

them to choose words that either rhyme, are opposites, or fit together in some other way. Guide them to write from

left to right and from top to bottom. Have students add illustrations. Revise and Edit: Have students review their

work by checking the question and answers for correct spelling, capitalization, punctuation. Ask students if they

spelled Word Wall words correctly. Circulate and help students as they check their sentences. Have students share

their work with a partner.

Students study the whole text of an all-about book so they can begin to understand the overall structure of informational

writing. Remind students of their work during Reading Workshop about nonfiction books that teach people “all about” things.

Be consistent in the language you use to refer to all-about books. It may confuse students if you juxtapose terms, such as

nonfiction, expository, all-about, and books that teach. Add this varied vocabulary as the unit progresses, but be sure students

understand the concept first.

* This project involves writing informational text without the need to do research. Students will choose topics that

they already know about for this project. Topics such as my family, pets, sports, hobbies, games, making friends,

folding paper airplanes are popular.

* Students will write an All-About Book including a table of contents, at least three sections with headings, a labeled

diagram and/or picture with caption, and a cover with title and author’s name. (Please feel free to adjust the

expectations to meet the needs of your students. If you have taught other elements such as index, glossary, about-the-

author you may want to require these or list them as additional options. These elements may or may not be age

appropriate. Please use your best judgment.)

Preparation: Prior to this lesson, make sure you have exposed students to All-About text i.e. classroom magazines

(Scholastic News, Weekly Reader, National Geographic Kids, Time for Kids), nonfiction leveled readers, PPS

Science kit libraries, Gail Gibbons texts, etc.

* Say, “Today we are going to start thinking about All-About texts. We’ve been learning about all sorts of things this

year and you’ve all grown as writers. I bet we can write a sophisticated “All About” text like some of these that we’ve

read.” (Hold up informational books from the year). Say, “Let’s look at some of the texts we’ve read this year to help

us get an idea of what our “All About” text should look like.”

* Say, “Writers write about what they know. Today you might want to make a list of even more

topics you know about, or you may want to start writing about your topic.” Student Artifact: All-About Topics

Lesson #2: All-About Books (Prewriting - Using Detail Webs)

* Invite three to five students share their webs or their writing

Lesson #3: All-About Books (Headings)

* Create another web together using a topic from yesterdays’ list such as pets, a sport, camping, playing an

instrument, swimming and so on. Have students tell you what to write on the web. Model expanding the topic if

necessary. If it feels like students need more experience webbing, complete another detail web together.

* Say, “Writers, today make sure you fill out your detail web with information about the topic you are going to write

about. When you’re finished with your web, you may write about your topic.” Popcorn share topics.* Students who have selected a topic can leave the carpet and begin filling out a detail web and then continue writing.

Students who need help selecting a topic stay on the carpet with teacher who continues brainstorming topics and

adding them to the list until all students have a topic to write about.Conferring: Help students choose a topic. Check to make sure students know enough details about the topic to

complete the detail web. Do the details support the central topic?

* Say, “We know that in our All-About pieces we want to teach our readers a lot of information about one topic.

Professional authors have a smart way of organizing their information that makes it easier to learn. Today we’ll learn

how to use headings to organize the details in our All-About pieces.

* Say, “As writers, let’s think about topics we already know a lot about. Close your eyes and tell yourself, in your

private voice, something you know a lot about. Raise your hand to share your idea.” Have students share topics and

record their ideas on a chart students can refer to and add to throughout this unit. “Choose a topic you know at least

three facts about. Turn and talk with your partner and tell at least three facts about your topic.” Optional: Provide

different all-about texts to partners and have them explore, looking for different features. See attached page for

features of all-about text. As partners are exploring, point out features and give a name to each if students are unable.

Class Artifact: All-About Topics Chart

Conferring: For students who are having a hard time thinking of a topic: “Remember what we have studied in

Science and in books this year. Is there a book in our class collection that could help you think of a topic?”

* Have three to five students share their topics and/or sentences they have written. You may want to add some topics

to the chart.

* Using Prewriting Strategies - Say, “Yesterday we looked at some non-fiction books to see what kind of

information they included and we started to think of topics that we could write about. Some of you even began writing

about a topic that you know all about!”

* Say, “Sometimes as writers we want to write a piece and we either have too much or too little to say about it. To

write our ‘All About’ pieces we’ll use a detail web to make sure we know enough information about a topic to write

about it.” * Model reading over the list of topics from Lesson 1 brainstorming session. Choose a topic (something broad). “I

think I’ll write about putting on a class play. I’ll write my topic in the center of my web.”* Model brainstorming at least four pieces of information for the topic and write each one on a separate spoke on

teacher-sized web. Point out that it is not necessary to fill all six spokes but that you need to have at least three details

and four or five would be better.* Model making a web that doesn’t have enough details and how to fix it: “Sometimes I can only think of one or two

things to say about a subject but it is something I really wants to write about. When this happens, I need to expand the

topic by thinking, ‘what topic is similar to the one I have chosen? What else can I write?’ For example, if I had

decided to write about pebbles but I could only think of one thing to say: ‘Pebbles are small rocks.’ Then I would need

to ask myself, ‘what topic is similar to pebbles?’ Immediately I would know that I could write about rocks. I learned

about rocks when we studied rocks, sand and silt! So my topic would change from being just about ‘pebbles’ to being

about ‘rocks.’ I could still have a section on pebbles in my finished piece.” ELL Strategy: Use sketches next to text in

detail web.

* Closure: Pop-up share for topic and headings.

Lesson #4: All-About Books (Model the Process for Writing)

Closure : Select a few samples that show a strong start and share.

Lesson #5: All-About Books (Using Pronoun)

Optional: Pronoun Chart (see sample in the LiveBinder)

* Say “As you go off to write today, make sure you have enough details on your web. Then you may decide to start

writing a section with a heading like I did today.”* Conferring: By this time students should have chosen a topic and be working on All About writing. Encourage and

support as appropriate for each student. Assist students with filling out a web. If that seems too challenging, or too

much for students, guide them to making a heading and writing details.

* Conferring: Beware of students who want to spend all their time creating beautiful headings and never get around

to writing the information for the section! Tell them they can write the headings differently, but they should add the

special details and color when it is time to prepare for publishing.

* Model: Say, “We have talked about how authors pick a topic, decide on the important information and write the

headings to help the reader understand the information. Today I’m going to share with you how I get started writing an

All-About text.”* Say, “I am going to use the detail web we created yesterday about putting on a class play.” Show the detail web (or

quickly do a think aloud of making detail web for your topic). Think aloud showing how you double check if there are

at least three facts relating to the topic.* Say, “Now I’m ready to write the first section. I think I’ll write about the songs.” (Pick a narrow detail so you can

write a short section.) Remember to think aloud about writing the heading and placing it at the top of the page. Model

making it larger and perhaps a different color. Then model writing some related text under the heading. (If you feel it

might be an issue, demonstrate choosing not to include a thought that is an opinion. Stick to the facts.) ELL: Point to

topic list, details web, table of contents as you refer to them.

* Pick another detail from the web. Have students talk about some facts, true information they know about that detail.

Listen to student conversations and reiterate what you heard. Model writing it yourself or you can share the pen and

have students come up to write another section from the detail web or a section from one of the other detail webs. Pay

attention to whether students are able to stay on topic and use facts rather than opinions. Reteach as necessary.

* Say, “We know that in our All-About pieces we want to teach our readers a lot of information about one topic.

Professional authors have a smart way of organizing their information that makes it easier to learn. Today we’ll learn

how to use headings to organize the details in our All-About pieces.

* Model: Say, “When writers want to share or teach information, they organize the information so it’s easier to

understand. They also tell the reader what they are going to learn about in each section, or part, before writing the

details. We call this using a heading. A heading is a title writers put at the top of each section. Writers often use larger,

bolder writing so the heading stands out. Writers may even use a different color or font for the heading.” Now read

through (or write) the poster sharing the examples that show larger, bolder headings above organized information.

Revisit one of the detail webs from Lesson 2. Model turning two or three of the details into headings. ELL: supported

through use of examples on Headings poster.

* Choose another detail web from Lesson 2 (or create a new one together choosing a topic from the list generated in

Lesson 1). Have students help you choose three to five details from the web and turn them into headings. Let students

demonstrate different ways to make the headings stand out (font, color, size, underline, box, etc.)

* Say, “Today, writers, as you work on your All-About piece, you may be ready to write a heading to let your readers

know what they are going to learn about in that section. Remember to write the heading in a special way so it stands

out.”

Lesson #6: All-About Books (Diagrams)

Preparation: Diagrams poster- NOTE: At the end of this unit you will find text for the posters for headings, table of

contents, diagrams, captions, glossary. You may enlarge these and then glue on photocopied examples for each topic,

or you may choose to hand-write these key points on your chart as you create it with your students. If you are creating

the chart with your students, photocopy the examples ahead of time so you have something to glue on!)

• Labeled diagrams within a non-fiction book that has been used as a read aloud during the year.

Suggestion: SF Unit 3 Anthology labeled diagrams on p.115, p. 137.

* Share another sample paragraph such as Sample #2 on the next page. “Now help me identify the pronouns in my

writing.” (Highlight or circle as students identify the pronouns.) “Can you tell who I am writing about in this piece?”

Take student responses and then think aloud i.e. “Here I used ‘they’ and you don’t know I mean my brothers, although

you might be able to guess from the heading.” (Cross out the pronoun and replace with noun.) “Now I used ‘she’ so it

can’t be my brothers. I actually meant ‘Mom.’” (Replace ‘she’ with ‘Mom’). “The next pronoun is also ‘she’ but now

we know ’she’ refers to Mom so I don’t need to change this one.” See if students can find the next pronoun (them) and

tell who it refers to. Continue through the piece having students find pronouns and tell you what they refer to. Have

them point out where the noun is located in the piece. Do more examples together as you deem appropriate for your

students.

* Say, “Writers, as you are writing today, see if you can find a good place to use a pronoun from our list. When you

do use a pronoun, write your name on a sticky note and put it next to the pronoun you used on our list of pronouns.”

* Conferring: Notice how students are using pronouns. Pull a small group if appropriate for additional instruction.

(See Note below.)

* Closure: Students who used a pronoun in their writing and put their name on a sticky note share their sentence

with the class.

NOTE: In addition to personal pronouns, there are other pronouns that students will use in their writing. At this time

there is no need to overwhelm them with the extra information about pronouns. If you have advanced writers who are

ready for the information, teach it individually or small group. Also, you may find that when students are trying to

decide if they have created a complete sentence, they may have used a pronoun for the subject and have difficulty

identifying it as the subject.

* Optional Mentor Text : Preread a book about pronouns such as Mine, All Mine: A Book About Pronouns by Ruth

Heller or I and You and Don’t Forget Who: What Is A Pronoun? By Brian Cleary

* Say, “Writers, in reading some of your pieces I am becoming confused because writers are starting sentences with

pronouns. I wonder who or what the writer is talking about!”* Modeling: Say, “Writers, have you noticed that when you’re writing or speaking you don’t always have to call

things by their ‘proper names’? We can use words like ‘he’, ‘she’, and ‘it’ to name what we’re talking about after we

have named the noun. These words are called pronouns.”

* Say, “Pronouns can be very useful so we don’t have to repeat the same words over and over. We have to be careful

how we use pronouns or our writing could become confusing to the reader. It’s important to use a pronoun only after

we’ve already named the noun.”* Say, “Let’s look at this example (you may use Example #1 about field trips which follows this lesson) and see how

many pronouns we can find. We will also try to find the noun that each pronoun is replacing. Read the sample. Circle

or highlight the pronouns as you find them. Make a list of the pronouns you found or refer to a pronoun chart to

discuss the variety of pronouns. Talk about how a pronoun can be possessive and take the place of noun apostrophe

‘s’ (instead of “Mark’s” use “his”). (Please use appropriate grade-level specific pronouns. It is not necessary to

teach ALL pronouns.) ELL: sketch visuals next to each pronoun on list. Refer back to list when reading the sample

paragraph in the next section of lesson.

* Conferring: Check in with students to help them label their illustrations/diagrams.

Use mentor texts to help students.

Lesson #7: All-About Books (Using a Checklist)

Preparation: Enlarged “All About” Checklist/Rubric to display.

Copies of “All-About Checklist for individual student use.

Paper for making book covers

The sections of the class All-About book

* Conferring: Assist students to get started. Encourage students to tell you where they are in the process. Assist

students as needed.NOTE: For the next few lessons you may want to revisit some previous topics, depending on where your students are

as a whole. Lessons on punctuation, capitalization and spelling may be helpful. You can make intentional mistakes in

your samples or use student samples to fix up. Refer to lessons from Personal Narrative 1, 2, and 3 for ideas.

* Closure: Gather students together. “Raise your hand if you added labels to turn an illustration into a diagram.”

Have three to five students share their diagrams.

Paper choices for book writing (may want some pages oriented portrait and some oriented landscape, some

with picture space, some with lines only, and some blank)

* Say, “Writers, we have been writing our own All-About books. When we think we are done, we can use a checklist

to help us remember everything we need to check.”

* Modeling: Review the elements of an All-About book. Post the publishing criteria in writing as a poster and/or

checklist and go over each item marking “Yes” or “No” as appropriate for the current condition of the class book.

Review checking conventions as needed for your group. ELL: Use sketches next to the criteria on the poster to

illustrate what they mean.

* Say, “Now it’s your turn. Get out the pieces you have finished writing for your All-About book and put them in

order. Look at our chart and check to see if you have everything completed. If all your parts are complete, remember to

check for punctuation, capital letters and spelling. You may use an individual checklist to help you keep track.”

* Say, “Writers, decide what you need to do next and get to work. If you need help, stay at the carpet and I’ll help

you. If you have more writing and drawing to do, go do it.”

• Labeled diagrams within a non-fiction book that has been used as a read aloud during the year.

Suggestion: SF Unit 3 Anthology labeled diagrams on p.115, p. 137.

• You may want to premake a drawing related to your modeled All About topic ready to add labels or you

may sketch it as part of the demonstration before labeling it as a whole group.

* Say, “So far we have talked about how writers include headings to help readers understand what the book includes.

Now we will look at how writers add words to the pictures or diagrams to help readers understand the information.”

* Modeling: Say, “Writers use words connected to the illustrations to give the reader more detailed information. This

type of labeled illustration is called a diagram. A diagram can be a labeled picture, drawing, map, chart or graph to

help the reader better understand the text. Sometimes it might show the parts of something. For example, if you are

writing about soccer, you could make a labeled drawing showing the parts of the soccer field.” Show several examples

of diagrams from non-fiction read-alouds used this year. Now read through (or write) the poster sharing the examples

that show diagrams. ELL : supported through use of a labeled poster.

* Draw a picture that relates to the modeled “All About” topic you are writing about. Students raise their hand to

name parts of the teacher’s picture and teacher labels the picture using arrows and written words. (In the class play

example, you could draw a diagram of the stage and label risers, microphones, prop table, stairs, curtain, etc.)

* Say, “As you go to work today, writers, you may want to use pictures with labels to illustrate your writing. You may

want to make a diagram or show the parts of something.”

Small Group - With Teacher

Guided Reading

GR Mini-Lessons to complete during this term:

* Using Fix-It Strategies When Reading

* Using Visualization to Understand and Summarize Text

* Identifying Characters, Setting, and Plot

* Determining Importance

* Read High-Frequency Words

* Phonemic Awareness

Small Group - Guided Writing

GW Mini-Lesson to complete during this term:

* Closure Choose a few student samples that are strong examples of different elements of the All-About books and

share them with the class. Remind students of the deadline for finishing before the celebration. NOTE: It is important

to celebrate with students. Student Artifact: All-About BookGuided Reading, Guided Writing, Assessing, Conferring

Reminder: Visit each small group a minimum of twice weekly. Tier III must be visited daily. Rearrange groups as students

master skills.

* Books to be matched with Students’ appropriate level & targeted skills -- Recommend using small leveled books

for Approaching level, On level and Beyond level and Pre-Decodable Readers.

Small group mini-lessons are based on a common need. Talk to students before/during/after a piece. Ask probing questions.

Two positive comments and one improvement (tactful/specific/focused). Make an action plan (goal setting). Use rubrics and

check list before, during, and after.

Meet with students who are having difficulty putting their ideas down on paper. Have them hold the pencil and

provide them with the letters, words or structure that will help them state their ideas.

Small Group - Word Work (see links in LiveBinder)

Possible Student Artifacts:

Word Sort, using CVC pattern

Create words with word families

Create nonsensical words

Activity and Practice Book

Create letters using objects (cereal, macaroni, popcorn, cotton balls)

Small Group - Read to Self -and/or- Listening to Reading

Collaboration 1 - Read to Someone

Using Leveled Readers: High Frequency Word Dinosaur Talk

Visual Summary Graphic Organizer

Phonemic Awareness/Phonics Activities Over-the-Shoulder Conferences

Vocabulary Practice

1. Quietly move close enough to a student that you can read the journal.

Handwriting Practice 2. Read part of what you see.

Writing: Pronoun Sentences

Writing: Descriptive Sentences

Writing: All-About Book

Have student work with a partner and

"test" each other on their knowledge of

high frequency words.

With a partner, write about what two

dinosaurs might have said to each other.

Use dialogue bubbles.

Collaborative Learning

Practice Task (s) Student/Teacher Conferring

Task: Meet with the teacher to discuss writing and receive revision

assignments.

Use these quick, focused opportunities to comment while students are

writing:

3. Show the student a spot in the writing where he/she is using a particular

skill.

4. Whisper a sentence or two about why you notice that spot in the writing

and ask a question that will prompt the student to add detail or clarify.

5. Move on to the next student. (You should see 12-15 students in a 15-

minute period.)

Collaboration 2 Collaboration 3

Have students work with a partner. Choose

one of the 3 ways to read a book. Students

will take turns reading a text to each other and

asking questions about the story. Direct

students to ask each other questions about the

text, such as what was the story about? Who

are the characters? Etc.

Independent Practice with Conferring

Students will get their book bags (full of good-fit books of their choice) or choose from our classroom library, find a comfortable

spot in the classroom, and will read to themselves.

Suggestions: Books with animal related stories or information, books with labels, and leveled readers. Also include small

predictable books that have been read aloud in class, poetry binders, read-around the room, or pocket charts.

Accountability: Consider allowing students to illustrate and write a sentence about the story. Prompt: Write a sentence about

a character you have read in a story. Prompt: Retell the story using Beginning, Middle, and End graphic organizer

Art Extension (less challenging)

If I Were an Animal

Scaffolds for ELL

Possible Resources

* Check comprehension frequently.

* Use outlines to scaffold comprehension.

* Teach students how to decode words.

* Give students practice with new words.

Teacher-Created Test

Review and Assess the weekly skills reviewed/learned:

Phonemic Awareness/Phonics: see list above Fluency Probe

Vocabulary - Selection Vocabulary; High Frequency Words

Fluency - Word Automaticity Progress Monitoring

Sound/Spelling - Initial/Medial Sound Fluency

Comprehension - Main Idea and Details; Retelling Unit Assessment

Spiral Review - Beginning, Middle, and End; Story Structure

If you could have an animal body, what

creature would you be? Why? Draw your

dream and then spin a tale about your

adventures. Choose an animal! What

animal characteristic would you like to

experience? Would you run like the wind

on four legs? Or fly over your house with

strong wings? Or swim to ocean depths

using your flippers and tail? Use your

imagination to dream up a new way of

seeing your head combined with an

animal, fish, or bird body. Texas Treasures Interventions (see Unit 9

pgs. 2130 - 2155 and 2214- 2239) –

choose component(s) of reading (phonemic

awareness, phonics, comprehension,

fluency, vocabulary) to re-teach and

practice based on student needs.

Key: Lessons for Metacognitive Strategies are RED, Lessons for Read Aloud are GREEN, Lessons for Phonemic Awareness/Phonics/Word Study are

ORANGE, Lessons for Vocabulary are BLUE, Lessons for Writing are PURPLE.

Observe students throughout the week as they complete assignments,

respond orally in class, and read aloud.

* Use graphic organizers to scaffold

comprehension, reading, and writing.

Struggling students need daily

interventions in a small group setting. After

monitoring progress of your intervention

students, it is time to switch the groups

around based on student needs. If students

are not making progress first change your

instruction, next consult another teacher on

your campus. Hopefully this will make a

difference. Monitor your children carefully.

See progress monitoring section at the end

of each week and unit.

* Use questioning strategies to

accommodate English language

* Group students for optimal

opportunities to learn cooperatively.

* Teach students to actively engage with

the vocabulary.

* Use pictures from the internet to

scaffold comprehension.

Instructional Extensions and Modification

Extension Supporting ELL Suggestions for Interventions

Before reading to, with or next to children

there should always be some kind of

introduction. Introductions will vary with

each type of reading: when making

predictions you may not want to introduce the

entire story. Introductions can include

activating prior knowledge, planting key

vocabulary words, and setting a purpose for

reading.

* Scaffold instruction using components

of Balanced Literacy

* Use anchor charts to reinforce concepts.

Assessment

Formative Summative

o/o,(initial and medial), /f/f (initial), -at, -an is, play

Documents

Transcript of o/o,(initial and medial), /f/f (initial), -at, -an is, play