Read more challenging text (suggestions are listed in...

1 FUSD Fourth Grade ELA, Unit 3, Sample Module 1

Sample 4th Grade Instructional Module

The following is a sample module intended to provide an example of possible instruction for Unit Three of the Fresno Unified School District Scope and Sequence (http://beta.fresnounified.org/dept/sss/curr/ela/ELA%20Scope%20and%20Sequence/Forms/By%20Grade%20Level.aspx?InitialTabId=Ribbon%2EDocument&VisibilityContext=WSSTabPersistence). Consider this a work in progress. As a sample instructional plan, it should invite discussion and development. It is not intended to be prescriptive, only suggestive. It may provide ideas and guidance. The module can be adapted, modified, expanded, delivered as-is, or not used at all. It simply provides an example of a shorter module of instruction which incorporates:

Integration of interactive reading, writing, and speaking processes Text dependent writing and speaking Formative assessment opportunities

Additional instructional supports should be planned in addition to the activities contained within this sample module. Some suggestions are included at the end of each task. Others to consider include:

Extension activities for advanced students o Read more challenging text (suggestions are listed in text set resources) o Participate in a Literature Circle

Explicit language instruction for English Language Learners Designated time to address Reading Foundational Skills, including different levels

of support for Phonics and Word Recognition Targeted instruction for grammar, conventions, and writing strategies.


The Big Idea

Change is Inevitable

Enduring Understandings of Unit 3:

The Earth and its inhabitants are dynamic and continually changing. ‐ Changes in the Earth’s surface are caused by waves, wind, and water. ‐ Ecosystems change. ‐ Societies grow and change.

Sample Module 1 Essential

Question: What are the effects of changes

to the natural environment?

Additional Possible Essential

Questions:

What do living things need to

grow?

What are the effects of change?

Sample Module 2:

What causes changes to the

earth’s surface?

Additional Possible Essential

Questions:

How has California changed?

What are the effects of

change?

4th Grade Sample Module 1

Unit 3

Possible Module 3:

How do people

change?

Additional Possible

Essential Questions:

Why do people seek

change?

Module Text Set

Wildfires, by Seymour Simon &

“Yosemite’s Sequoias Need Fire,” Video Clip and

Transcript

Possible Text Set You may also choose to utilize these additional selections to accompany the module:

Lightning and Fire, article retrieved from

http://www.ReadWorks.com

Skylark, by Patricia MacLachlan

Why Big, Intense Wildfires Are the New Normal,

retrieved from National Geographic

Smokey the Bear Website

Rim Fire Wrecks the Habitats of Some of

California's Rarest Animals (From News ELA)

Flame Busters, by R.G. Schmidt

Module Text Set

What Causes Changes to the

Earth’s Surface?

(Harcourt Science, Unit 5, Lesson 1

pgs. 320‐333)

Sierra, by Diane Siebert

Mountain Making, Tales of the

California Indians, retold by Jane

Louise Curry

Possible Text Set You may also choose to utilize these additional selections to accompany the module:

Mountain, by Elizabeth Kaplan, from Grolier Online Volcanoes on Brainpop.com Earthquakes on Brainpop.com Earthquake, by Janette Schuster (Harcourt Science e‐reader)

Possible Text Set


Module Text SetText Title Resource Purpose/Commentary

“Wildfires” Houghton Mifflin: Theme 6, selection 2 Scope and Sequence Anchor Text: This text illustrates how change is inevitable through exploration of the causes and effects of wildfires on the natural environment. Lexile: 990L

“Yosemite’s Sequoias Need Fire”

National Geographic Video Clip and Transcript

Scope and Sequence Suggested Related Texts: This link can be accessed through the Unit 3 scope and sequence, or by clicking on the link for Task 3. The video provides visual support and background knowledge for the concepts presented in the anchor text, Wildfires. A transcript for additional support has also been provided in the appendix. Transcript Lexile: 970L

Additional Titles Which can be Used to Accompany This ModuleExamples for use could include independent reading, literature circles, or small group reading instruction

Text Title Resource Purpose/Commentary

“Lightning and Fire” Article retrieved from http://www.ReadWorks.com A copy is also provided in the appendix.

This text provides some additional information to support the content students learned in Wildfires, by discussing the impact of wildfires caused by lightning in Florida. Lexile: 1080

“Skylark” Houghton Mifflin: Theme 6, Selection 3 Scope and Sequence Suggested Related Text: This literary selection from the student anthology would connect well to essential question because of the hardships the characters face due to changes in the family’s natural environment. A basal alignment unit is available for this selection on the Edmodo website. Lexile: 470

“Why Big, Intense Fires are the New Normal”

Article retrieved from National Geographic Daily News.

This article can be accessed online by using the link. Posted in August of 2013, students can learn more about fires which have occurred more recently, like the Yosemite Rim Fire. You can also view a video clip with this article. Lexile: 1300

Smokey the Bear Website

http://www.smokeybear.com/wildfires.asp

This website is full of a variety of resources. Students can gain additional information about wildfires, explore fires currently burning on Google Earth, and teachers can also view additional lesson plan ideas.

“Rim Fire a Home Wrecker for California's Rarest Animals”

Retrieved from News ELA website A copy is also provided in the appendix.

This article contains additional effects from wildfires not discussed in previous sources. The News ELA website has many articles on current events. The Lexile range can be adjusted for differentiation. Quizzes are also available for most selections. Lexile in appendix: 730L

“Flame Busters” Located on pages 684‐685 of the Houghton Mifflin Textbook

This informational article located immediately following the Wildfires selection in Houghton Mifflin provides students with an example of an article from a science magazine. Lexile: 860L


“Drought, Wildfires, and Global Warming”

Retrieved from ABC‐clio through Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society http://issues.abc‐clio.com/Feature/Story/1665040?cid=1664814&terms=wildfires

This informational article highlights the devastation caused by a combination of natural disasters. Lexile: 1420L

Wildfire Run by Dee Garretson

Available for checkout through Fresno County Library System: http://hip1.sjvls.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?menu=search&aspect=basic_search&index=.GW&term=Wildfire+Run&submit=Find+It%21#focus

Action packed adventure story. Lexile: 690L

Culminating Module Task:

Big Idea: Change is Inevitable

Enduring Understanding: The Earth and its inhabitants are dynamic and continually changing. Essential Question: What are the effects of changes to the natural environment?

Writing Prompt: After reading texts about wildfires and watching the video Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire, write an article for a kids’ science magazine in which you explain the causes of wildfires and the effects they have on the natural environment. Give examples from the video and at least one text to support the information in your article. (Full prompt located in appendix.)

Standards Addressed in Module

Standard: Description: Reading for Information 4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when

drawing inferences from the text.

Reading for Information 4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information from the text.

Reading for Information 4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain‐specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.

Reading for Information 4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g. chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

Reading for Information 4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g. in charts, graphs, timelines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.

Reading for Information 4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.

Reading for Information 4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in grades 4‐5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Writing 4.2 a‐e Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g. headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic. c. Link ideas within categories of information using words and phrases (e.g. another, for example, also, because). d. Use precise language and domain specific vocabulary to inform about or explain a topic. e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.


Writing 4.4 Produce clear, coherent writing (including multiple‐paragraph texts) in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Writing 4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing.

Writing 4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes, paraphrase, and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

Writing 4.9.b Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.b. Apply grade 4 reading standards to informational texts (e.g. “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.”

Writing 4.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single setting or a day or two) for a range of discipline‐specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening 4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Speaking and Listening 4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Language 4.2b Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from text.

Language 4.3.a‐c Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas precisely b. Choose punctuation for effect c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal English and situations where informal

discourse is appropriate

Language 4.4.a‐b Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g. definitions, examples, or restatements in a text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

b. Use common, grade‐appropriate Greek and Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word

Language 4.5.c Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meaning. c. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).

Language 4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade‐appropriate general academic and domain‐specific words and phrases, including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or states of being and that are basic to a particular topic.


Purpose of task (communicate to students at the beginning of each task): Activate students’ thinking about the content

that is to come. Students will be given statements about the causes and effects of wildfires and decide if they are true

or false.

Materials: Anticipation Guides (in appendix)

Instructional Notes:

Teacher will read statements from the anticipation reaction guide, one at a time, to students.

Teacher will guide students, as individuals, to circle “T” if they feel the statement is true or “F” if they believe the

statement is false.

Teacher re‐reads the statements after students have read about wildfires and asks the class to respond with

their answers by circling “true” or “false” on the right‐hand side. If there is a disagreement among the students,

ask students to defend their “true/false” positions, but students should walk away having correct answers.

o Establish a Speaking and Listening routine and explicitly teach students how to disagree respectfully.

Consider incorporating elements of Accountable Talk (one example provided by Fisher and Frey in “First

20 Days” article: http://www.fisherandfrey.com/wp‐content/uploads/2011/10/first_20_days.pdf) to

promote respectful discourse.

o Explain to students that while the context of this discussion may be informal, that we are going to use

this time to practice formal English when presenting ideas.

o Possible sentence frames to provide students examples to use when talking with the group:

i. “I agree that ____, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people believe that ____.”

ii. “Though I concede that _____, I still insist that _____.”

iii. “Although I don’t agree that _____, I do recognize _____.”

iv. “My own view, however, is that _____.”

You may choose to gather all student materials in a learning log (coversheet in appendix), more information on

how you can use learning logs as part of your daily instructional routine is in the glossary of strategies.

NOTE: Anticipation Guides will be referenced in subsequent tasks

Possible Launching the Module Tasks

Purpose: Activating students’ background knowledge, building schema, and preparing students to enter into content through complex text. Launching the module could include activities that address the following concepts:

Getting Ready to Read

Exploring Key Concepts

Making Predictions and Asking Questions Understanding Vocabulary

Task 1: Anticipation Reaction Guide (more information on strategy in glossary) SL.4.1b, 1c, L.4.3c


Formative Assessment Notes: The Anticipation Reaction Guide strategy assists the teacher in gathering information

about students’ bias as well as background knowledge of the content. Examine the students’ anticipation reaction

guides to determine how much additional support they will require in understanding key concepts about wildfires.

During the formal discussion, make note of students’ abilities to speak in complete sentence using a formal register.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: While this survey is to be read aloud, for some of your EL students, it would also be

beneficial to provide additional clarification for some of the terminology, or provide primary language support, when

available. To help formatively assess which vocabulary is challenging for your students, have them annotate the survey

by circling terms which they do not understand. This will help you determine how to differentiate vocabulary instruction

based upon student need. Additionally, after noting students’ use of language during the discussion, you may need to

pull particular students to a small group setting and directly teach them different discourse patterns.

Purpose of task: Students will gain an understanding of the requirements for the culminating task to help focus their

attention on the information they will need to gather while completing the module.

Materials: Anticipation Guide, Culminating Task Prompt (in appendix), Rubric you will use to score, and Frayer Model

(explained in glossary and sample template in appendix)


Introduce Culminating Task Writing Prompt (full prompt in appendix)

o Teacher reads the culminating task instructions out loud: After reading texts about wildfires and

watching the video Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire, write an article for a kids’ science magazine in which

you explain the causes of wildfires and the effects they have on the natural environment. Give examples

from the video and at least one text to support the information in your article. o Discuss what information they believe will be crucial to gather throughout this module in order to

address the writing task. (Consider creating a class list; students may want to add to their Learning Log)

Determine “focus words”

o Students examine Anticipation Guide and highlight 10 or more terms that will “most important” to

understand in preparation for addressing the writing task

o Students work with a partner (or in a trio) to come to consensus on the top six terms they think they

need to fully understand. Explain to groups they will need to establish a rationale as to why they chose

the list of words. Be prepared to share with the class. Consider implementing a group expectations

structure such as the Discussion Rules and Roles found in appendix

o Class discussion – whole class negotiates to determine the top four terms.

o Students work in groups of 3 to construct a Frayer Model of one of the four terms. Consider asking students to include drawings in each box.

o Groups share out. OPTION: Conduct as a gallery walk

o Students independently reconstruct a smaller version of each term in their Learning Logs.

Clarify expectations for written product o Re‐read prompt and focus attention to criteria 3: what to include o Unpack rubric and clarify expectations. Match each area of rubric to corresponding section in prompt

Task 2: Exploring Key Concepts RI.4.4, W.4.5, SL.4.1b L.4.4


o Create a classroom list: Choose one student to share a few ideas on the board, and ask others to add to it.

Closure Option: students write fuzzy/clear statements to you. (explanation in glossary)

Formative Assessment Notes: Examine Learning Logs to determine if they captured key information. Circulate around the room as they are discussing with a partner/groups. Note how well they are able to engage in a collaborative discussions. If you choose to score Frayer Model, consider using an Effort/Achievement rubric tied to your criteria for success (example of Effort/Achievement Rubric in appendix). The fuzzy/clear statements will help you determine what additional teaching or scaffolding you may need.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: When possible, provide beginning EL students with a translation of this task in their

primary language, or with primary language support for key terms. You may need to use additional picture cues when

explaining each section of the Frayer Model. The Frayer Model itself is a scaffolding strategy.

Students will view the video clip: Yosemite Sequoia’s Need Fire, National Geographic Video (2:55 in length)

Purpose of task:

Activate background knowledge on a topic, concept, or text.

Gather information from digital media sources to increase knowledge on a topic and be able to use the

information to answer questions on a topic or complete an activity.

Build a climate of safety and mutual inquiry among students.

Prompt: Why do Yosemite’s sequoia trees need fire?

Materials: Video Clip (see link above), note catcher (in appendix)

Instructional Notes (complex talk, text, task):

Pose the prompt to students prior to showing the video. Explain the components of the note catcher. You may need to clarify how to determine a cause vs. an effect.

Encourage students to record notes on their note catchers. (Consider re‐playing the video clip 2‐3 times to allow students to gather as much information as possible). This could also serve as an opportunity for students to take notes digitally using their tablets (W.4.6)

After viewing video, review the prompt and give students time to think‐pair‐share with a partner. Encourage students to use their notes and add to them as they discuss the video with a partner.

Conduct a whole class discussion to examine the causes and effects of wildfires mentioned in video. Initiate a routine that requires students to paraphrase the information presented.

Formative Assessment Notes: Examine notes students capture as they view the video. Circulate around the room as

they are discussing their notes with a partner to ensure they understand the key points as well as causes and effects.

Also note how well they are able to engage in a collaborative discussion and add to their notes when receiving

information from their partners. An annotated version of the note catcher is also included in the appendix.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: If students have not formally been taught how to take notes, you may need to create a

mini‐lesson to model for them. An alternative may include you modeling how to take notes during small‐group

instruction. To ensure students record the necessary information from the video, which will be used as they complete

Task 3: Guided Viewing of Digital Media RI.4.7, W.4.8, SL.4.2


the culminating task, review the key concepts by coming together for a whole class discussion. Display the note catcher

on a document camera and record the information for students to check their notes and add concepts, if necessary. A

transcript of the video is also included in the appendix. An enrichment/follow‐up activity for accelerated students could

be to provide them with additional video clips for which to take notes and report back to class additional causes and

effects of wildfires (a list of additional video clips is provided at the onset of this module under “Additional Titles”).

Purpose of task: Pre‐teach vocabulary essential to understanding anchor text, Wildfires.

Possible words: ablaze, chemical reaction, fuel, ash, intense (p.662), tinderbox (p. 668), extent, favors, inhalation (p.

672), reproduce, fledglings, scavengers (p. 674),

Materials: PowerPoint with images (in folder), Houghton Mifflin textbooks, Learning Logs (or other paper on which to

record notes)


Teacher may wish to utilize explicit routine to teach vocabulary (see glossary). An example is listed below. A PowerPoint

is also provided with some key terms and vocabulary based text dependent questions in the folder with the module.

Possible Instructional procedure for vocabulary instruction:

1. Pre‐select a word from an upcoming text or conversation.

2. Explain the meaning with student‐friendly definitions.

3. Provide examples of how it is used.

4. Ask students to repeat the word three times.

5. Engage students in activities to develop mastery.

6. Ask students to say the word again. 7. Generate any known synonyms and antonyms.

Formative Assessment Notes: If you are having students record their vocabulary notes in a learning log or journal, you

might note how successfully they are able to record their understandings and examples of key terms in their own words.

Make sure to visit terms on an on‐going basis throughout the module. Provide feedback to students indicating whether

or not they have accurately defined the meaning of key terms and concepts.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: While key terms have been pre‐selected for the PowerPoint, make sure to have students

note when they are unsure of a word’s meaning. Students can then use context clues, or consult reference materials

both in print and on‐line to support their understanding. Vocabulary support for this selection is also provided in the

Houghton Mifflin English Learner Handbook. For students who demonstrate command of these vocabulary words,

provide additional opportunities for them to extend their knowledge of key concepts through exploration of the

websites and text on wildfires listed in the Possible Text Set section at the beginning of the module. They may also take

these additional terms to create their own Power Point presentations with the new vocabulary and concepts they have

acquired.

Task 4: Vocabulary Acquisition RI.4.4, L.4.5c, L.4.6


Purpose of task: To familiarize students with a nonfiction text before they begin to read it independently

Resources: Houghton Mifflin Textbook, Wildfires, Theme 6, Selection 2

Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)

For more information on the Backwards Book Walk Strategy refer to the glossary of strategies, or go to the following url: http://learn.tkschools.org/sgabrielse/ls/bbw/default.aspx

This strategy will engage students in a conversation not only about the topic but also about the text features within the text.

Teachers may choose to provide language frames, such as the following, for scaffolds: a. “The conclusion and other text features makes me think that we are going to learn… b. “We might learn about…”

c. “I don’t think this section will be about…”

Some questions to prompt student thinking and call attention to the cause and effect structure of the text might include:

a. How is Wildfires organized? b. Based upon what you have seen so far, what do you think some of the causes of wildfires might be?

Formative Assessment Notes: You can use this opportunity to see how well students are able to take initial information

to make predictions. You may periodically want to have a quick jot (strategy in glossary) in students’ learning logs to

record their observations and ask questions about what they are going to be reading.

Meeting All Students’ Needs: If students who need additional support are still experiencing difficulty making

observations about the text, and are using the above language frames, make sure they are given the opportunity to

converse with a strategically selected partner who can provide additional support. Once partners have shared, and

students have responded in learning logs, bring the class back together to record observations on the board or with a

document camera.

Task 5: Backwards Book Walk RI.4.5


Entering the Text Set

Purpose of task: Students will closely read the text to make meaning and cite specific examples and details when

responding to questions both orally and in writing.

Strategies:

o Close reading o Bridging Conversation o Text dependent questions o Writing to text o Writing to learn

Resources: Wildfires, Theme 6, Selection 2, Houghton Mifflin, Note Catcher Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)

Possible Pre‐Reading Tasks

Review information from Backwards Book Walk (Task 5 Above)

Review Note Catcher with notes from video & show students where they will be recording additional information.

During Reading Tasks

Possible sequence for reading

Decide how to chunk text for reading and instruction.

Have students read text independently. Provide students with procedure to annotate the text while they are reading.

Note that tasks 7 and 8 have the selection Wildfires broken into two segments for re‐reading the text with opportunities for responding to and discussing specific text dependent questions and responding to writing prompts.

Some examples to have students interact with text (for tasks 6‐8) might include:

Using small sticky notes to mark pages where they have questions or need clarifications. EXAMPLE: “Talk‐To‐Text” using starters such as:

o “I didn’t understand this part…”

o “I do not know the meaning of…”

o “The most important part…”

o “This reminds me of…”

o “I agree with the comment…”

Task 6 (may be broken up into multiple tasks across multiple class sittings) RI.4.1, RI.4.10

Integrated Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking

Complex Text, Talk, and Task


o “I want to dispute the comment…”

Overlay transparency on page and have students use dry erase markers to make notes.

Provide students with reading journal where they can take notes and write questions as they are reading. EXAMPLE : Double Entry Journal (Example in Appendix)

Have students mark the text (or post‐its) using “Thinking Notes” strategy (example on Teaching Channel: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student‐annotated‐reading‐strategy )

Teacher engages students in re‐reading of text.

Some possible formats for re‐reading include:

Choral reading (Teacher voicing in/out depending on level of scaffolds students need.)

Teacher supporting through read aloud as students follow along.

Partner Reading

NOTE: Due to the length of the selection, it will probably take a few days to read and process with the use of multiple

strategies The tasks that follow include text dependent questions and ideas for integrated reading, writing, listening, and

speaking.

Possible After Reading Task:

Writing to synthesize learning:

After reading Wildfires independently, have students record any additional information they have gathered on their

note catchers about the causes and effects of wildfires. Prompt students with the following question: Did any of the

information you heard today match what was said in the video? The transcript of the video can also be utilized as

students respond to this question.

Revisit the Culminating Task Prompt and Rubric and help students make note of any relevant information they plan to

use. Consider developing a mini‐lesson to teach students how to collect information, including resource citation.

Formative Assessment Notes:

Check for students’ understanding during class discussions. Monitor partner discussions and responses for textual

evidence to support their thinking. Collect student note catcher (can be part of the learning log) to see how many items

students were able to record after their first read. An annotated version is included in the appendix. Provide written

feedback on note catchers if students are not identifying key concepts.

Meeting all Students’ Needs:

The English Learner and Extra Support handbooks for Houghton Mifflin both contain ideas for providing extra support for students who require differentiation for language, comprehension, and vocabulary for this selection. The summary of Wildfires from the English Learner handbook is also in the appendix. The Possible Text Set on page 3 of the module provides a list of text (with Lexile levels) which can be used for differentiated independent reading. You can also adjust the article from News ELA to a more challenging level by visiting the website.


Purpose of task: This task will help students successfully gather information and note instances of cause and effect structures in text to prepare them for their module culminating task, writing an article for a scientific journal.

Strategies:

Comprehension

Close reading

Text Dependent Questions

Writing to synthesize learning

Resources: Wildfires, Houghton Mifflin, Theme 6, Note Catcher, Question Response Organizer for Segment 1

Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task)

Possible Pre‐Reading Tasks

Discuss text features such as table of contents, glossary, sub‐headings, captions, fast‐facts, vocabulary words in bold print, or on the Power Point. Remind students that this knowledge will support them in the successful completion of their culminating task, the informational science article.

During Reading Tasks Possible sequence for reading. Please adjust the sequence of reading to meet the needs of the students.

Possible General Understanding Questions include:

What genre is the text? How do you know? What does this author want me to understand? What was this text mainly about? One conclusion that a reader can draw from this text is (give conclusion)..

Sample Guiding Questions to guide students to cite textual evidence:

How do you know? On what page did you find your answer? What in the text supports your answer/thinking? What examples from the text can you give?

Ways to address structural elements of cause and effect throughout tasks 7‐8:

How is this (paragraph, sentence, etc.) organized?

What are some of the causes of …….?

What was the result of……………..?

What are some words or phrases that signal cause and effect relationships in text? (since, caused by, in effect, because of, this results in, brought about, due to, consequently, made possible, for this reason, accordingly, if….then, therefore, as a result, leads to, responsible for)

Possible Text Dependent Questions

Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage students. The

use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk formats to facilitate

Task 7: Re‐visit Segment 1 of Wildfires RI.4.1, RI.4.3, RI.4.4, RI.4.5, RI.4.10, W.4.9.b, W.4.10, SL.4.1c.d, L.4.4a


discussion include: think‐pair‐share and then share out with whole class, whole class discussion, individual response with

random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered heads, etc. Any time students directly quote

information from text, require them to use proper conventions (use commas and quotation marks to mark direct

quotations from text).

Note: A student graphic organizer with these questions is provided in the appendix:

What is the topic of this story? Re‐read the first paragraph on page 662 and summarize the author’s words using specific language from the text.

Reread the 2nd paragraph on page 662. How does the author support the statement, “But not all fires are bad”?

On page 662, the author writes, “A whole forest can be set ablaze from a tiny fire no bigger than the flame from a match.” Explain what this means and how this happens in your own words.

Reread p. 664. Why did people “aggressively” fight fires and what does the author say are the effects of this thinking?

Abandon means to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue. What important details did the author give to support why they “abandoned” their policy of letting lightning fires burn naturally? Who made the decision?

During Reading Possible writing to synthesize learning:

Return to the Note Catcher used in tasks 3 and 6 and note any additional understandings using the re‐read of segment 1.

Teachers may choose to engage students in “quick jots” (see glossary of strategies) during reading of the text. A “quick jot” could be utilized after reading the information under a sub‐heading. A “quick jot” consists of very brief, informal opportunities to think and record a few thoughts or notes about the text, classroom discussion, or classroom happenings. “Quick jots” may take the form of thoughts, notes, lists, main ideas, short opinions, and/or brainstorms.

o Procedure for “quick jots” strategy: o Provide students with 1‐3 minutes of writing time. o Provide students with 2‐3 minutes of sharing time with a partner.

Possible After Reading Tasks

4‐2‐1 Free Write (Strategy from The Core Six, pages 54‐55 for more information on this strategy). This strategy is listed

on the graphic organizer for segment 1.

1. After reading pages 660‐671, have students generate the four most important ideas of the text. Have them record their ideas on their graphic organizers.

2. Have students pair up to discuss their ideas and come to consensus on the two most important ideas from their lists.

3. Have the pairs join into groups of four students. As a group of four, each group comes to consensus on the single most important idea of the text.

4. Ask students to then write, for 3‐5 minutes, in regards to the essential question: What are the effects of changes to the natural environment? Or more specifically, how does fire change the natural environment of the forest?

5. Students then return to their groups of four to listen to everyone’s responses. 6. Conduct a class discussion of students’ thoughts on the question: How does fire change the natural

environment of the forest?


Revisit Anticipation Guide

Students re‐read original responses to see if, in light of new information gained, they need to edit their responses.

Consider requiring students to cite where they obtained the information to answer each question

Revisit the Culminating Task Prompt and Rubric

Ask students to begin developing a focus for their article

Help students update their resource citation list (if you created one).

Have them summarize the component they are thinking of including in article

Formative Assessment Notes: Check students’ understanding during class discussions. Monitor partner discussions and

responses for textual evidence to support their thinking. The graphic organizer with student responses to the text

dependent questions can also be scored. An annotated version is provided in the appendix with possible student

responses. If students’ responses are incorrect, provide written feedback to clarify misconceptions.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: Consider which students are able to complete the text dependent questions on their

graphic organizers and which students might need additional support. You might choose to provide sentence stems for

some of the questions to aid student responses and pull small groups based upon need while others are completing the

task independently. Additional support may be needed to directly teach how to quote from text. An example from the

teaching channel of text‐talk time can be seen at this link: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/analyzing‐text‐

lesson

You might also show this clip, or portions of the clip, to students to illustrate what is expected of them during class

discussions and while they are working independently and in groups. The “Lightning and Fire” article in the appendix

also provides an opportunity to challenge more advanced readers with at a higher Lexile level and a variety of

comprehension questions.

Advanced students can read multiple accounts of the effects of wildfires, analyze different perspectives, summarize

multiple viewpoints, and create a multimedia presentation depicting the points of view of fire specialists, tourists,

environmentalists, the governor, and or homeowners.

Purpose of task: Students will continue gathering information from the second segment of Wildfires while responding

to questions which deepen their understanding of the concepts and text structure. They will also be synthesizing and

integrating this learning with information from other module sources, such as the video and transcript.

Strategies:

Comprehension

Close reading

Text Dependent Questions

Writing to synthesize learning Resources: Wildfires, from Houghton Mifflin, Note Catcher, Question Response Organizer for Segment 2

Task 8: Segment 2 of Wildfires RI.4.1, RI.4.3, RI.4.5, RI.4.9, W.4.9.b, W.4.10, SL.4.1c.d, SL4.2


Instructional Notes (complex text, talk & task) Possible Text Dependent Questions Teachers will need to make instructional decisions on how to utilize text dependent questions and engage students. The

use of text dependent questions should include time for students to discuss. Some Possible Talk formats to facilitate

discussion include: think‐pair‐share and then share out with whole class, whole class discussion, individual response with

random selection, or ordered share with talking stick, numbered heads, etc.

Note: A student graphic organizer with these questions is provided in the appendix. Any time students directly quote

information from text, require them to use proper conventions (use commas and quotation marks to mark direct

quotations from text).

How does fire affect the animals in the area? Pg. 674

What is the “cycle of burning and rebirth”? How does the author indicate what part of the cycle the trees are currently in? (Pg. 676)

Reread page 678, paragraph two about Everglades National Park, and how important the fires are to its ecosystem. The author states: ‘The Everglades need fires in order to survive’. Give evidence to support this statement.

How does the author conclude Wildfires? Pg. 680

During Reading Possible writing to synthesize learning:

1. Return to the Note Catcher used in task 3 and note any additional understandings using the re‐read of segment 1.

2. Teachers may choose to engage students in “quick jots” during reading of the text. A “quick jot” could be utilized after reading the information under a sub‐heading. A “quick jot” consists of very brief, informal opportunities to think and record a few thoughts or notes about the text, classroom discussion, or classroom happenings. “Quick jots” may take the form of thoughts, notes, lists, main ideas, short opinions, and/or brainstorms. Procedure for “quick jots” strategy: a. Provide students with 1‐3 minutes of writing time. b. Provide students with 2‐3 minutes of sharing time with a partner.

Possible After Reading Tasks Writing to synthesize learning:

Revisit Anticipation Guide o Students re‐read original responses to see if, in light of new information gained, they need to edit their

responses. o Consider requiring students to cite where they obtained the information to answer each question

Revisit the Culminating Task Prompt and Rubric

o Ask students to begin developing a focus for their article

o Help students update their resource citation list (if you created one).

o Have them summarize the component they are thinking of including in article

Collaborative Group Poster (See glossary for strategy description)

1. Provide students with a copy of a rubric and/or criteria for success that will be used to score their poster and presentation.

2. With students in groups of 4, have them create a poster which illustrates the causes and effects of wildfires. 3. Ask the groups to make non‐linguistic representations that describe or explain the process using a circular or

linear chain of event graphic. 4. Have each group present their posters or conduct a gallery walk.


Formative Assessment Notes: Teachers may choose to score the text dependent questions from the graphic organizers.

Use the responses to guide instruction by noting questions where students experienced difficulty. Provide additional

instruction in these areas (example, if students do not follow the proper conventions for quoting, explicitly teach in a

separate lesson).

An annotated version with possible responses is provided in the appendix. The collaborative group poster can be

scored as well. Rubrics can be utilized for collaborative group work, completed projects, and presentations. The

following link provides extensive resources for rubrics and checklists: Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Rubrics and Assessment

Meeting all Students’ Needs: The same structure utilized for task 7, or revisiting the text for segment 1, could also be

used for this task. The use of sentence frames for the text dependent questions, along with small groups, can be used to

support students in need of additional scaffolding. You might also revisit the PowerPoint for vocabulary support for a

visual representation of the key concepts presented in the selection. Possible extension activities for further research

and investigation are provided in the appendix. In one activity, “From Seed to Sapling,” students research and chart the

beginning stages of a tree. The other activity, “Ask a Tree,” provides students with a narrative writing opportunity.

Purpose of task: Reflection is an essential component in learning. Students benefit from discussing what they have

learned about how to read and sharing that information with the rest of the class. Reflecting on their own reading

process helps students consolidate what they have learned about being a thoughtful and active reader.

Materials: Learning Log


The following questions may be used as the focus of a discussion or as the topic for a quickwrite:

• What have you learned from the information we have studied? What do you want to learn next?

• What reading strategies did you use or learn in this module? Which strategies will you use in reading other

texts? How will these strategies apply in other areas of study?

• In what ways has your ability to read and discuss texts improved?

Formative Assessment Notes: This is an opportunity for students to gather information about themselves. You may

consider keeping these reflections in a portfolio for students to reference during the next module of study; as way for

them to make note of how they improve throughout the year. This is also a “goal‐setting” opportunity.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: Students should be encouraged to review their notes when reflecting on what they’ve

learned. If they have difficulty referencing their own notes, you may need to explicitly teach this skill during small‐group

instruction.

Task 9: Reflecting on Your Reading W.4.10,


Purpose of task: You introduced the Culminating Task in Task 2. The purpose of this task is to analyze the purpose for

writing.

Materials: Culminating Task Prompt (in appendix)


Assign the Culminating Task writing assignment, and have students read through the task on their own.

Have the students revisit the focus words they chose in Task 2.

Since they have already read all the texts and taken notes, they should already be forming some ideas about

what to include.

Review expectations of what an article will include and define the nature of the support they should provide.

Help students recognize how the purpose of the assignment will affect the type of writing they will do. Have

your students look for information in the assignment about the audience for their writing. Here are some

questions to help them consider this issue:

o What genre is this? What are the reader expectations for this genre? o What format will this have? What organizational structure will you use to organize ideas logically? o What is your purpose for writing?

Answer any questions that may come up.

Purpose of task: Formulate an introduction and gather evidence from texts to support the information presented. The

writing assignment frames the reading in a new way.

Materials: Culminating Task Prompt (in appendix), Learning Log notes

Connect READING to WRITINGPurpose: In this transitional moment, students’ reading will inform, inspire, and guide their writing as they shift

from being an audience for the writing of others to addressing their own audience as writers themselves. This section of the module could include activities that address the following concepts:

Considering the Writing Task Determining a Focus Gathering Information Getting Ready to Write

Task 10: Considering the Writing Task W.4.4 W.4.5

Task 11: Determine a Focus and Gather Information RI.4.7, W.4.5, W.4.8, W.4.9b, SL.4.1



Explain – An article is a nonfiction composition that uses facts gathered from several sources of information to

tell about a topic. One way to plan is to make an outline.

o The possible text set selection, Flame Busters, on pages 684‐685 of the Houghton Mifflin text book is an example for students of an informative article with text features such as photos and captions.

Parts of prewriting:

o Brainstorm ideas for report

o Write introductory statement

o Record important details (e.g., on note cards)

o Organize details into an outline that will guide the writing of the report

o Check that details support the thesis

Possible guiding questions for students to process in groups:

o What is your tentative introduction?

o What support have you found for your topic?

o What evidence have you found for this support (e.g., facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples)?

o How much background information do your readers need to understand your topic?

Gather information to support topic

o Students can select evidence by returning to the readings, their notes, their summaries, their annotations, and other responses in order to highlight information they may use to support their topic

o Develop and teach a format for organizing information they will use

Reflection – Provide an opportunity for students to evaluate the support they have chosen

o How closely does this piece of information relate to the fact it is supposed to support?

o Is this piece of information a fact or an opinion? Is it an example?

o If it is an opinion, what makes the opinion credible?

o What makes this information important?

o How well will the information suit the audience and the purpose of the report?

Meeting all Students’ Needs: If students do not know how to organize information, you may need to teach an outlining

strategy. The sample prompt indicated to students that you would be writing an article too, so you can use this as an

opportunity to model your own thinking while you proceed with writing alongside them.

When students work in groups, encourage them to share answers, and add information to each answer as they hear

good ideas, phrasing, and modifications to what they came up with before.

Purpose of task: Students now need to add relevant ideas and observations from their own experience to the

information they have gathered.

Materials: Possible graphic organizers depending on activity you design

Task 12: Getting Ready to Write W.4.5, W.4.10



After responding to readings, collecting notes, and adding observations, students are now prepared to extend

their thinking and develop content. As they take notes at this point, students will have written words and

sentences they can use in their first draft.

To help students generate this information, you might want to introduce a variety of traditional prewriting

activities:

o Brainstorming

o Freewriting

o Informal outlines

o Clustering/Mapping

o Quickwrites

A guide for students to organize their pre‐writing, along with a possible template for a science article for the task has been provided in the appendix.

Have students collaborate with partners to generate working titles and subheadings and write about how these

relate to message and purpose


Purpose of task: While students will want to keep their audience in mind throughout the writing process, because

thinking about audience is a guide to effective writing, the first draft is generally “writer‐based” and discovery‐ oriented

in that it serves to help the writer think through the information and choose a focus. The first draft is often where

students find out what they really think about a particular issue or topic.

Materials: Writing supplies


Prompt: Compose a draft: Write what you would like to include in your article. You do not necessarily have to

start at the beginning with the introduction, although you may. Your goal here is to write down on paper, in

complete sentences, your information

Students can use their notes and graphic organizers (may have been kept in a learning log) to assist them as they write their article.

Purpose of task: No rigid formula will cover all of the writing that students may be asked to do, but almost all

writing has a beginning, middle, and end. Formulaic essay structures such as the five‐paragraph essay may be

appropriate for some tasks, but students need to learn that most writing in the real world, and even in the

university, does not take this form.

Materials: Writing supplies, pre writing notes

WRITINGPurpose: Thinking of writing invites students to consider the importance of audience and purpose to affect readers in

particular ways. As students begin to compose a first draft, they are about to make an active contribution to the

conversation among voices and texts with which they have been interacting. At this stage, writing is generally

“reading‐based” in that it synthesizes the viewpoints and information of various sources to help the writer establish

his or her position in the ongoing conversation.

This section of the module could include activities that address the following concepts:

Composing a Draft

Considering Structure

Using the Words of Others (and Avoiding Plagiarism) Negotiating Voices Revising Considering Stylistic Choices Editing the Draft Responding to Feedback Reflecting on Your Writing Process

Task 13: Draft W.4.1, W.4.2, W.4.4, W.4.9, W.4.10

Task 14: Consider Structure W.4.2a‐d, W.4.7, W.4.9, L.4.2d



The following sections are traditional parts of writing and provide considerations that writers may want to take into account when organizing their texts. The number of paragraphs depends upon the nature and complexity of your topic.

The Beginning or Introduction

Directs readers’ attention to the topic the writing addresses

Establishes the importance of the topic

Provides background information that the audience may need

Introduces the purpose of the writing in order to suggest how the piece will be developed

The Middle or Body

Explains, illustrates, and develops the topic

Contains as many paragraphs as are necessary to develop the ideas

May have sections and subheads

Contains several examples to develop the topic

Often quotes, paraphrases, or summarizes other texts in support of the purpose of the writing

The Conclusion

Connects the writing to some larger idea

Points the reader to next steps or new questions raised by the writing

Explains the implications of the major point of the writing

Works Cited (Bibliography)

Presents all the sources used, arranged alphabetically.

Final Product

The final product should reflect the following points. Read and discuss them in class or in small groups as you are getting ready to revise your essay:

• Most body paragraphs consist of a topic sentence (or an implied topic sentence) and concrete details to support that topic sentence.

• Body paragraphs give evidence in the form of examples, illustrations, and quotes.

• The number of paragraphs is dependent on the topic and the evidence presented.

• The thesis dictates and focuses the content of the essay. NOTE: This product could potentially be created using technology. First, typed in a word processing document. The final product could include students publishing as an informational article on a web‐site. Additionally, students could create a multi‐media presentation to accompany their article.

Purpose of task: Learning to cite accurately and determining how best to incorporate the words and ideas of

others are essential for students to establish their own style.


Task 15: Using the Words of Others RI.4.1, W.4.2b, W.4.8, W.4.9b, L.4.2b


Instructional Notes (source: CSU ERWC Assignment Template):

“One of the most important features of academic writing is the use of words and ideas from written sources to

support the writer’s own points. There are essentially three ways to incorporate words and ideas from sources, as

shown below:

Direct quotation: Jeremy Rifkin says, “Studies on pigs’ social behavior funded by McDonald’s at Purdue

University, for example, have found that they crave affection and are easily depressed if isolated or denied

playtime with each other” (15).

Paraphrase: In “A Change of Heart About Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin notes that McDonald’s has funded studies

on pigs that show that they need affection and playtime with one another (15).

Summary: In “A Change of Heart About Animals,” Jeremy Rifkin cites study after study to show that animals

and humans are more alike than we think. He shows that animals feel emotions, reason, make and use tools,

learn and use language, and mourn their dead. One study even shows that pigs need affection and playtime

with one another and enjoy playing with toys (15).

Meeting all Students’ Needs: Students need practice choosing passages to quote, leading into quotations, and

responding to them so that they are well integrated into their own text. Paraphrasing passages, which some

students avoid because it requires an even greater understanding of the material to put it in their own words, is

another important skill in academic writing. Students can practice these skills by choosing quotations, paraphrasing

them, and then discussing whether they agree or disagree and why. This can be done in a pair or group activity in

which students choose quotations and then help each other paraphrase them” (22).


Purpose of task: Help students understand that revision is a strategic, selective process; what writers choose to revise

depends on the ultimate purpose of their writing. During this step, it may be necessary to conduct mini‐lessons to

teach/review language standards of focus.



Develop a process students can use to analyze their rough draft.

They need to either self‐assess or have a peer assess the writing based on the purpose, the message, the needs

of the audience, and the writer’s style. Possible questions to support an analysis:

o Who is my audience, and what is my topic/ central idea.

o What type of information and examples does this audience value most highly?

o What are the most important facts? Are these in a logical order?

Writers can make stylistic choices in order to enhance the clarity of their writing and make connections with readers. Students can consider the effectiveness of their stylistic choices by responding to the following questions:

o How will the language you have used affect your reader’s response?

o Which words or synonyms have you repeated? Why?

o What effects will your choices of sentence structure and length have on the reader?

o In what ways does your language help convey your identity and character as a writer?

o Is your language appropriate for your intended audience?

Meeting all Students’ Needs: You can stimulate effective conversations about student writing by scaffolding revision

workshops that target specific concepts for revision (i.e., paragraphing, effective introduction strategies, or signposts for

logic, etc.). Demonstrate moves good writers engage in during revision, invite students into discussions about writing

that develop revision vocabulary and revision reading skills.

EDITING & REVISINGPurpose: Many students don’t differentiate between revising, editing, and proofreading. They need to be taught the difference as well as the importance. Revision involves analyzing the global level and paragraph level organization of the document, and making changes to your draft on a global, paragraph, and sentence level to ensure that: The document addresses its purpose The structure of the document is logical and supports the topic clearly Editing involves looking at each sentence carefully, and making sure that it’s well designed and serves it purpose Proofreading involves checking for grammatical and punctuation errors, spelling mistakes, etc. Proofing is the final stage of the writing process

Task 16: Revising W.4.2d, W.4.4, W.4.5, L.4.3a, L.5c, L.6


Purpose of task: While the first draft of an essay is generally writer‐based, as writers revise, they create writing that has

the reader in mind, writing that is, in other words, more reader‐based. At this point, they will need to address surface

level issues such as grammar and usage errors, sentence clarity, punctuation, word choice, and various other stylistic

features.

Materials: Writing supplies, Editing Checklist (in appendix)


Students benefit from instruction that targets particular constructions and asks them to make observations

about those constructions. Identifying and practicing these constructions and conventions constitutes a major

part of an individual’s editing knowledge.

As you have worked through this module with your students, you have probably also been assigning grammar

and spelling activities. Now students must apply their grammar and usage knowledge to their own writing.

Consider using an Editing Checklist (in appendix) for peer work, individual work, or conferences with you. Using

these guidelines as the focus of the task of editing will give your students a consistent checklist for each writing

task.

Purpose of task: “Students need feedback on their writing. Some of this can be from peers during the revision stage, but

instructor feedback is essential. Although responding to drafts and conferencing with students is undoubtedly time

consuming, it is important to intervene in the writing process at the most useful points and to make comments that are

well targeted to both the assignment’s demands as well as to the student’s needs and language development processes”

(CSU, 27)



The most valuable point for students to receive feedback is before they revise and edit, so they can actively

apply what they learn from your response to the next draft. One particularly effective time for instructor

response is after students have produced their first revised, “reader‐based” draft. Scoring using the rubric. And

provide feedback to help them revise and improve the final draft they will submit for a final grade. As

students see their own writing evolve, an improved grade can serve as additional motivation for them to put

sustained effort into revisions.

Below are some common ways to respond:

o Annotate the paper, focusing on the 2‐3 most important aspects or features of the text (so as not to

overwhelm students with too much feedback at once), and make a summary comment at the end that

supports the annotations in the body of the paper.

o Meet one‐on‐one with each student and review the strengths and weaknesses of the paper. In this

situation, you and your students might each keep an index card to track the kinds of changes being

made on each paper over time.

Task 17: Editing & Proofreading W.4.5, SL.4.4, L.4.1f, L.4.2a‐d, L.4.3a‐b

Task 18: Responding to Feedback (adapted from CSU ERWC Assignment Template) W.4.5


Minimal Marking: A more minimalist response can address global concerns by answering the two questions

below and underlining a few targeted errors.

• What is the best thing about this draft?

• What is the biggest overall difficulty with this draft, and how could it be improved?

Local concerns can then be addressed by underlining errors and having students attempt to identify and

correct them. For students with few errors, you might underline all of them. For students with many errors,

you might identify a particular type of problem that is causing the most confusion or distraction and

underline only that pattern of error. In other words, the teacher might write something like “I am

underlining sentence fragments. Please try to correct them. If you have questions, please ask.” Then

underline fragments throughout the paper. Some teachers simply put a checkmark in the margins to

indicate that there is a problem in a particular line.

Meeting all Students’ Needs: Most teachers make a distinction between “global” issues, such as thesis, focus, and

arguments, and “local” issues, such as grammatical and usage errors. While all students need both global and local

responses, English learners will benefit from more frequent and extended opportunities to receive and respond to

feedback. English learners may also benefit from instructor response to specific aspects of the English language—for

example, particularly difficult or idiosyncratic grammatical forms that English learners are still in the process of

acquiring.

Purpose of task: When students get their papers back with feedback, ask that they consider all of the feedback they got

from various peers, instructors, and others and make decisions about what changes they are going to implement.



Some questions for them include the following:

o What are the main concerns your readers had in reading your draft?

o Do all of the readers agree? o What changes should you consider?

o What do you need to add?

o What do you need to delete?

o What kinds of grammatical and usage errors do you have? How can you correct them?

It will be useful for you to model this revision process with a sample paper. When students can observe and

collaboratively participate in how to move from feedback to revision, they are better able to internalize the

moves proficient writers make in revision and subsequently engage in these moves independently.



Purpose of task: “Reflection is an essential component in learning. Students benefit from discussing what they have

learned about how to write and sharing that information with the rest of the class. This activity supports shared

understanding of key terms, important moments in developing writing, and generalizations that organize students’

approaches to writing. Reflection allows students to articulate their attitudes and assumptions about literacy and the

role it plays in their developing academic identities.

You may want to direct reflection by asking some of the following questions:

- What have you learned about your writing process?

- What were some of the most important decisions you made as you wrote this text?

- How did “writing about your writing” influence the way you developed your text?

- In what ways have you become a better writer?” (CSU, 29)



Glossary of Strategies

1. 4‐2‐1 Freewrite (The Core Six, pages 54‐55) This strategy is a collaborative summarization strategy and gives students a frame to follow when they write. STEP 1: After students read, they generate the four most important ideas from the text. STEP 2: Students work in partners to share their ideas and agree on the two most important ideas from their list. STEP 3: Partners pair up into groups of four. Each group then works to come to consensus on the most important idea. STEP 4: Students spend the next three to five minutes free writing about the big idea. Students are asked to be specific and write as if they were explaining the big idea and topic to someone who didn’t know anything about the topic. Students must not stop writing until time is up. STEP 5: Students return to their groups, listen to each other’s responses and then participate in a class discussion.

2. 6‐Step Vocabulary (Classroom Instruction that Works pages 128‐129) A five step process for teaching new terms and phrases. The instructional sequence allows for multiple exposures to the new term or phrase in multiple ways. : STEP 1: Present students with a brief explanation or description of the new term or phrase. STEP 2: Present students with a non‐linguistic representation of the new term or phrase. STEP 3: Ask students to generate their own explanations or descriptions of the term or phrase. STEP 4: Ask students to create their own non‐linguistic representation of the new term or phrase. STEP 5: Periodically ask students to review the accuracy of their explanations and representations.

3. Anticipation Reaction Guide (Skillful Teacher Activator) Students are given a series of true/false or agree/disagree statements related to the topic and are

asked to take a stand on each based on anything they know or values they hold. The idea is to get

students to place their stake in the ground prior to learning and then to revisit and verify or modify

their choices at the end of the lesson. Students’ answers prior to learning can also surface

misconceptions and assist in guiding instruction. The anticipation reaction guide can serve as an

activator and summarizer. At the conclusion of the lesson, students revisit the statements. After

students have had an opportunity to verify or modify their answers independently, teachers facilitate a

discussion and provide the correct answers.

4. Backwards Book Walk: For more information on this strategy, please visit the following url: http://learn.tkschools.org/sgabrielse/ls/bbw/default.aspx The purpose of this strategy is to familiarize students with a non‐fiction text before they begin to read it independently. It begins with the conclusion, so students understand the overall meaning of the text (book or chapter) before looking at the bits and pieces. After reading the conclusion, the students continue in a backwards manner, reading headings, captions and keywords. This provides students with an introduction to important vocabulary so they will better comprehend the text information. After the entire chapter has been received, students are asked to guess the title of the text. Allow quiet


thinking time and then have students share thoughts with their partners, then randomly call on students to share with the class. This activity reverses the process of the typical picture or text walk, motivating students through the novelty of something new while demonstrating a technique for pre‐reading a non‐fiction text.

5. Collaborative Group Poster (Based on work from WestEd and Kate Kinsella) This strategy is used to help students synthesize their understandings in a visual form with close reference to the text. It encourages creativity and helps students to self‐assess using a rubric. Students are given time to think individually about how to represent their thinking the spirit of a text read. In small groups, the group must reach consensus on one (or more) image, quote, and original phrase ‐ all should be primed with ideas to share and from which to build their consensus. As groups plan and create their poster, a rubric is essential to ensure that they discuss the text, stay on task, and use images to highlight main ideas rather than merely to decorate the poster. Each student in the team uses a single marker, a different color from any other team members, for his or her work on the poster, as well as for signing the poster when the group agrees it is complete. The first time students do a collaborative poster, they should have 30 minutes to complete it, but no more (do not compromise). After 30 minutes, post the posters as they are and have students assess them. Team may revise their posters in their own time. Decrease the time for work on subsequent poster assignments until students work within a 20‐minute timeframe.

6. Double Entry Journal: Ask students to respond to what they have read through differing lenses. The more common of the two lenses chosen is that of a detail from the reading and the reader’s personal reaction to the detail. The notes are often taken in two‐columns with related items on either side of the dividing line. Double Entry Journals can guide students to make personal connections to text and to relate what they are reading to what they already know. They can also direct students toward making inferences and drawing conclusion from their reading based on a trigger statement that can be documented alongside the inference. Adaptations:

The headings can be adjusted not only for topics, but also in number. They could include: vocabulary term, definition, context from text, personal connection.

Teachers can choose the heading based on the objectives of the lesson and the passage type.

7. Frayer Model: Students define the key concept, describe its attributes, compare and contrast it to

other related concepts, provide examples of it, and explain why the examples are appropriate. Using this model, the students can distinguish between examples and non‐examples (Frayer, Frederick, and Klausmeier). The graphic organizer helps students to learn new vocabulary by not only defining the term in their own words, but contextualizing it through authentic examples and visual representation. OPTION – Classroom integration using the Gallery Walk

PREP: Identify and list the essential vocabulary for the unit. Working in groups of 3‐4 student,

assign each team ONE term.

MINI LESSON: Introduce the Frayer Model by modeling the strategy. Establish expectations for

student learning product using a rubric or checklist.

GROUP WORK: Facilitate student learning by conferencing with each group and using probing

questions to help students think through their reasoning.


STATUS of THE CLASS: Assign one student in the group as the 'presenter'. The other team

members will circulate the room to other groups to learn about their term. Use a 2 minute

timer to keep the activity on pace

Additional ideas for implementing: http://www.readingeducator.com/strategies/frayer.htm ,

http://www.longwood.edu/staff/jonescd/projects/educ530/aboxley/graphicorg/fraym.htm

8. Fuzzy/Clear. Using index cards or half sheets of paper, students record something from the day’s lesson that is still “fuzzy” or confusing to them on one side of the paper and something else that is now clear to them on the other side. Teachers can then address “fuzzy” content in a subsequent

9. Learning Logs (The Core Six, pages 53‐54) An active response journal that infuses writing into the daily instructional routine. Learning logs can give teachers insight to students’ knowledge and feelings. Students should write in their learning logs at least once per day. Learning logs are not graded, but at least one entry should receive feedback, at least once per week. After students have had an opportunity to write, provide them with time to share with a partner or small group and then move to whole class discussion. During the class discussion, record students’ ideas and explore them further.

10. Quick Jots (Janiel Wagstaff Quick Start to Writing Workshop Success. Scholastic, 2011.) Very brief, informal opportunities to think and record a few thoughts or notes about classroom happenings or anything under study. Like other quick, informal writing opportunities, Quick Jots build students’ confidence, fluency and skill as writers. Quick Jots keep students engaged in learning since taking a moment to jot a few words, phrases or sentences requires “every pupil response.” Quick Jots can be used to activate prior knowledge, build knowledge or solidify knowledge; just as they are useful to build/solidify opinions/arguments.

11. Quick Write: The quick write involves asking a question, giving students a set amount of time for responding (usually between one and ten minutes). The quick write can be endlessly modified.


Appendix

1. Learning Log Cover Sheet 2. Anticipation Reaction Guide (Student and Annotated Version) 3. Frayer Model template 4. Discussion Rules and Roles 5. Effort & Achievement Rubric 6. Note Catcher for Module (Student and Annotated Version) 7. Transcript from Video, “Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire” 8. Double Entry Journal organizer 9. Question Response Graphic Organizer for Wildfires, segment 1 and 2 (Student and

Annotated Versions) 10. Student Version of Culminating Task Prompt and Instructions 11. Writing About Wildfires Pre-Writing Organizer 12. Sample explanatory/informational rubric 13. Student Friendly Informational Writing Rubric 14. Editing Checklist 15. Sample Layout for Student Articles 16. Wildfires Student Summary from HM English Learners Handbook 17. Possible Text Set article and questions for Lightning and Fire from Read Works 18. Possible Text Set article for Rim Fire a Home Wrecker for California's Rarest Animals

from News ELA 19. Extension Activities, “From Seed to Sapling,” and “Ask a Tree”


Learning

Log

Unit 3, Sample Module 1

Wildfires

Name_________


Anticipation Reaction Guide for Unit 3, Sample Module 1

Wildfires

Before reading…. True or False?

Statement After reading…… True or False?

T F Giant Sequoias must have fire to grow. T F

T F The bark of sequoias is fire resistant. T F

T F Fires in nature can help as well as harm. T F

T F Fires need fuel, carbon dioxide, and heat to burn. T F

T F Forest fires kill many animals. T F

T F Since 1972, Yellowstone Park officials let fires started by lightning to burn themselves out, unless they threaten

structures built by man.

T F

T F When there is a wildfire, large animals like bears, moose, and deer run away quickly to safety.

T F

T F The forests of Yellowstone are mostly giant sequoias. T F

T F Sometimes firefighters will actually start fires to get rid of dead wood and undergrowth.

T F

T F Wildfires are bad for the environment. T F


Anticipation Reaction Guide for Unit 3, Sample Module 1

Wildfires

Annotated Version

Before reading…. True or False?

Statement After reading…… True or False?

T F Giant Sequoias must have fire to grow. See sentence 1 in the transcript for the video: Yosemite

Sequoias Need Fire

T F

T F The bark of sequoias is fire resistant. Towards the end of the video and transcript they discuss the

fire resistance of the bark of the sequoias.

T F

T F Fires in nature can help as well as harm. This answer can be found in paragraph 2 on page 662 of

Wildfires.

T F

T F Fires need fuel, carbon dioxide, and heat to burn. This answer can be found on page 662, paragraph 3 of Wildfires: Fires need fuel, oxygen, and heat to burn.

T F

T F Forest fires kill many animals. This answer can be found on page 664, paragraph 2 of

Wildfires: It says that animals are rarely killed in forest fires.

T F

T F Since 1972, Yellowstone Park officials let fires started by lightning to burn themselves out, unless they threaten

structures built by man. In paragraph 2, page 666 of Wildfires.

T F

T F When there is a wildfire, large animals like bears, moose, and deer run away quickly to safety.

On page 672, paragraph 4 of Wildfires; it states that these animals often walk because the fires moves slowly.

T F

T F The forests of Yellowstone are mostly giant sequoias. On page 674, paragraph 2 of Wildfires; it states that the forests of Yellowstone are mostly lodgepole pine trees.

T F

T F Sometimes firefighters will actually start fires to get rid of dead wood and undergrowth.

In paragraph 676, paragraph 3 of Wildfires.

T F

T F Wildfires are bad for the environment. In paragraph 4 of page 680 of Wildfires, it states that

wildfires are neither good nor bad.

T F


Definition Characteristics

Examples Non-Examples

word


DiscussionRulesandRoles

Followingsimplerulesthateveryonehasagreedtowillhelpdiscussionsrunsmoothly.Assigningspecialroles,orjobs,willhelpyoumakethemostofyourdiscussions.

1 Prepare for discussion. Come to the discussion ready to talk about

the topic. Read any necessary materials beforehand.

2 Set a goal and assign roles. As a group, decide what you want to

accomplish and what each member’s role will be. See the chart

below.

3 Express your own ideas clearly. Speak so others can hear you. Give

details that fully explain your thinking. 4 Build on other people’s ideas. Listen carefully to what

others say. Add to their ideas.

5 Ask follow‐up questions. If you don’t understand

something, ask questions to clarify.

6 Use appropriate language. Use formal language for

presentations. Informal language is okay in small groups

Roles for Discussions

Responsibilities

Leader Starts the discussion and keep it on track Guides it by asking questions

Recorder Takes notes about key ideas Writes down any follow‐up tasks

Timekeeper Makes sure the discussion does not run longer than it should

Group Member Participates in the discussion Presenter Presents the group’s ideas


SCALE EFFORT RUBRIC

ACHIEVEMENT RUBRIC

4 Excellent

I worked on the task until it was completed.

I pushed myself to continue working on the task even when difficulties arose or a solution was not immediately evident.

I viewed difficulties that arose as opportunities to strengthen my understanding.

I exceeded the objectives of the task or lesson.

3 Good

I worked on a task until it was completed.

I pushed myself to continue working on the task even when difficulties arose or a solution was not immediately evident.

I met the objectives of the task or lesson.

2 Acceptable

I put some effort into the task, but I stopped working when difficulties arose.

I met a few of the objectives of the task or lesson, but did not meet others.

1 Needs

Improvement I put very little effort into the task.

I did not meet the objectives of the task or lesson.


Note Catcher Causes and Effects of Wildfires

Source: Causes of Wildfires

Effects of Wildfires

Video and Transcript: “Yosemite’s

Sequoias Need Fire”

Wildfires, by Seymour Simon


(Annotated Version of Possible Responses)

Note Catcher Causes and Effects of Wildfires

Source: Causes of Wildfires

Effects of Wildfires

Video and Transcript: “Yosemite’s

Sequoias Need Fire”

Lightning Deliberately started

by man

Regenerate giant sequoias Consumes acres of forest Heat opens seed cones, seeds

are released, flames clear the earth for their germination

Wildfires, by Seymour Simon

A burning match, a flash of lightning, or a glowing ember in a dying campfire, p. 662.

Firefighters use drip torches to light smaller fires to prevent large-scale wildfires. P. 676

Destroying homes and costing human lives p. 662.

Allows young plants to begin growing p. 662.

Allows some trees to release their seeds p. 662.

Some trees and shrubs grow back quickly and healthier than before. p. 664

These plants that grow back quickly provide food for animals after the fire. P. 664

Buildings can be destroyed. P. 670

Fire beetles lay their eggs in charred logs. P. 672

Animals can hunt for food in the open spaces. P. 672

Animals that die mostly die from smoke inhalation. P. 672

For scavengers, fires offer many sources of food. P. 674

Fire removes dead trees. P. 674

It helps the lodgepole pines reproduce. P. 674

Ashes provide minerals for new growth. P. 678


Transcript from Video: Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire

Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire Giant sequoias, found in the U.S. Sierra Nevada, require heat from fire to regenerate. Now, sometimes humans intervene in Yosemite National Park to help the process.

This fire in Yosemite National Park will consume 70 acres of forest—as big as 68 football fields. And, it was deliberately started by man.

For most of the last century, naturally occurring fires in Yosemite, usually caused by lightning, were put out whenever they started.

The result was an incredible build-up of deadwood and undergrowth, which fuelled catastrophic infernos.

Now national park firefighters play catch-up. They manage and allow naturally occurring fires to burn or set controlled fires like this.

TARO PUSINA, YOSEMITE FIRE SPECIALIST: “We can’t let all fires burn and we can’t put all fires out. We have to find that medium, but understand that fire is a vital and important part of our ecosystem”

This fire has special significance, and special risks, because it is burning in one of the most historically important few square miles of all Yosemite.

The Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias- Yosemite’s largest remaining stand of these great trees.

The sequoias are an iconic symbol of Yosemite. This grove was one of the main reasons President Lincoln took time out from the Civil War to declare Yosemite a protected place in 1864.

When it was policy to stop fires at all costs, few sequoias sprouted.

Why--- was an enduring mystery finally solved just a few decades ago.

Giant sequoias depend on fire to reproduce.

The heat opens their seed cones, their seeds are released, the flames clear the earth for their germination.

While lesser trees blaze around them, the giant sequoias stand virtually unscathed by the flames.

They’re remarkably fire resistant. Their bark is possibly the thickest of any known tree on earth, sometimes more than two feet, at the base of the tree.

It prevents flames of fast burning fires from reaching the interior of the tree.

TARO PUSINA, YOSEMITE FIRE SPECIALIST: "They've seen fire for eons and they will continue to see it if we have anything to do about it."

When the flames die down, the earth is ready for a new generation of giant sequoias.

They’re one of the oldest living things on earth. Some have been around some 3,000 years. And they stand as tall as a 27-story building.

It’s one of the natural symbols that make Yosemite National Park one of America’s greatest wonders.

video credit: National Geographic


Double Entry Journal (Students can create this structure with notepaper)

Text: Wildfires

This is what the text says Paragraph/ Page # This is what I think

Include: Direct quotes

Citations

Brief Summaries Exclude:

Long drawn‐out summaries

Great detail about every event

Include: Predictions

Reflections

Reactions

Connections

Feelings toward author’s words

Words/Passages that confuse you


Wildfires, by Seymour Simon Graphic Organizer, Segment 1, pages 660-671

Directions: After reading the text, write answers to each question below in the “My Response” section. Support each response in the “Evidence from the Text” section. After you are given time to talk to a classmate and share ideas, complete the “My Thoughts Now” section based on your conversation.

1. What is the topic of this story? Re-read the first paragraph on page 662 and summarize the author’s words using specific language from the text.

My Response Evidence From the Text

My Thoughts Now

2. Reread the 2nd paragraph on page 662. How does the author support the statement, “But not all fires are bad”?


My Thoughts Now


3. On page 662, the author writes, “A whole forest can be set ablaze from a tiny fire no bigger than the flame from a match.” Explain what this means and how this happens in your own words.


My Thoughts Now

4. Reread p. 664. Why did people “aggressively” fight fires and what does the author say are the effects of this thinking?


My Thoughts Now


5. Abandon means to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue. What important details did the author give to support why they “abandoned” their policy of letting lightning fires burn naturally? Who made the decision?


My Thoughts Now

4‐2‐1 Free Write: For this segment record the four most important ideas of the text. Then pair up and come to a consensus on the two most important ideas from your lists. Then, in groups of four, come to a consensus on the single most important idea of this section. Then write for 3‐5 minutes to answer the following question: How does fire change the natural environment of the forest?

My four most important ideas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Two most important ideas with my partner: 1. 2. With my group of 4, the most important idea is: *Now respond to the following question on the back of this page: How does fire change the natural environment of the forest?



(Annotated with possible responses) Directions: After reading the text, write answers to each question below in the “My Response” section. Support each response in the “Evidence from the Text” section. After you are given time to talk to a classmate and share ideas, complete the “My Thoughts Now” section based on your conversation.

1. What is the topic of this story? Re-read the first paragraph on page 662 and summarize the author’s words using specific language from the text.


This piece is about wildfires. The first paragraph explains that “a raging wildfire is a frightening thing” and the author tells why – “flames race through the treetops”, “hot enough to melt steel”. It details the destructive power of a wildfire – “major disaster, capable of destroying…”

My Thoughts Now

Answers will vary.

2. Reread the 2nd paragraph on page 662. How does the author support the statement, “But not all fires are bad”?


Fires in nature can help as well as harm. He says, “a burned forest allows young…”, sequoias need fires to help “release their seeds” and “fire is often a new chapter…”

My Thoughts Now

Answers will vary.


3. On page 662, the author writes, “A whole forest can be set ablaze from a tiny fire no bigger than the flame from a match.” Explain what this means and how this happens in your own words.


This describes the process of how wildfires spread quickly once started.

“The intense heat” can cause materials to catch fire without even touching the flames. Flaming leaves can set fire to a branch and “fire can leap to another tree and another.”

My Thoughts Now

Answers will vary.

4. Reread p. 664. Why did people “aggressively” fight fires and what does the author say are the effects of this thinking?


The effects of this thinking include: probably decreased the wildfires that help renew a forest, increased the number of more dangerous fires, allowing leaves, dead wood, twigs, and bark to accumulate which provides more fuel to feed big wildfires.

People fought fires because they were thought of as “enemies” by advertisements featuring Smokey the Bear warning that “only you” could prevent forest fires.

My Thoughts Now

Answers will vary.


5. Abandon means to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue. What important details did the author give to support why they “abandoned” their policy of letting lightning fires burn naturally? Who made the decision?


During the summer of 1988 at Yellowstone Park, fire and smoke drove tourists away, as it was coming close to the park buildings at Grant Village.

Yellowstone Park officials (they) decided to fight the fires. Although many firefighters fought, the fires continued to spread out of control for weeks.

My Thoughts Now

Answers will vary.

4‐2‐1 Free Write: For this segment record the four most important ideas of the text. Then pair up and come to a consensus on the two most important ideas from your lists. Then, in groups of four, come to a consensus on the single most important idea of this section. Then write for 3‐5 minutes to answer the following question: How does fire change the natural environment of the forest?

My four most important ideas: 1. 2. 3. 4. Two most important ideas with my partner: 1. 2. With my group of 4, the most important idea is: *Now respond to the following question on the back of this page: How does fire change the natural environment of the forest?



Directions: After reading the text, write answers to each question below in the “My Response” section. Support each response in the “Evidence from the Text” section. After you are given time to talk to a classmate and share ideas, complete the “My Thoughts Now” section based on your conversation.

1. How does fire affect the animals in the area? Pg. 674


My Thoughts Now

2. What is the “cycle of burning and rebirth”? How does the author indicate what part of the cycle the trees are currently in? (Pg. 676)


My Thoughts Now


3. Reread page 678, paragraph two about Everglades National Park, and how important the fires are to its ecosystem. The author states: ‘The Everglades need fires in order to survive’. Give evidence to support this statement.


My Thoughts Now

4. How does the author conclude Wildfires? Pg. 680


My Thoughts Now


Quick jot: How does a wildfire change the natural environment of the forest? List at least 3 specific examples from the text.



(Annotated with possible responses) Directions: After reading the text, write answers to each question below in the “My Response” section. Support each response in the “Evidence from the Text” section. After you are given time to talk to a classmate and share ideas, complete the “My Thoughts Now” section based on your conversation.

1. How does fire affect the animals in the area? Pg. 674


Since fires often move slowly through forests and grasslands larger animals walk away from the fire.

Bison and elk continue to graze. Some animals die from smoke inhalation. Birds usually fly off in advance of a fire while rodents burrow underground. Scavengers such as hawks, bears and ravens feast.

My Thoughts Now

2. What is the “cycle of burning and rebirth”? How does the author indicate what part of the cycle the trees are currently in? (Pg. 676)


When the forest is mostly old pine trees, many trees are dead due to insects. Fires burn these dead trees and help the lodgepole reproduce by allowing the pine cones to open and spread seeds.

Then new plants begin to flourish and insects and animals return. In 50 -100 years when the pines deprive the other plants of light and the forest is mostly pines, it will burn again. Right now, two years after the fire, “the young lodgepole pines are now waist high, and many different plants surround them”

My Thoughts Now


3. Reread page 678, paragraph two about Everglades National Park, and how important the fires are to its ecosystem. The author states: ‘The Everglades need fires in order to survive’. Give evidence to support this statement.


During saw-grass fires, the fire burns the tops of the plants, the ash provides minerals for new growth.

Without these periodic fires, the saw grass would age, die, and decay, filling up the swamps.

My Thoughts Now

4. How does the author conclude Wildfires? Pg. 680


The story ends eight years after the Yellowstone fires (1988+8=1996).

The area is renewing itself. Also, scientists are trying to determine the interval between natural fires. He ends with the statement, “Wildfires are neither good nor bad…forests nor grasslands… endless cycle of change.”

My Thoughts Now


Name___________________

Unit 3-Sample Module 1 Culminating Task Instructions

After reading texts about wildfires and watching the video Yosemite Sequoias Need Fire, write an article for a kids’ science magazine in which you explain the causes of wildfires and the effects they have on the natural environment. Give examples from the video and at least one text to support the information in your article.

Directions and Criteria for Success: 1. Use your resources and notes to help you complete the culminating task listed above. 2. Refer to the Writing about Wildfires graphic organizer to remind yourself of how to organize your essay

before writing. 3. We will work together to develop and strengthen your writing by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.

4. In your final version, you will produce a science article that includes the following: An introductory paragraph with an opening and topic sentence two body paragraphs with evidence, facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other

information and examples related to the topic o at least one paragraph: What are the causes of wildfires? o at least one paragraph: What are the effects of wildfires?

a closing paragraph with a concluding statement related to the information presented accurate academic and scientific vocabulary ideas linked using transitional words and phrases at least two illustrations or pictures with captions for your article

I can’t wait to read your reports, and I will be writing one too.

Sincerely,

Your Teacher


Name___________________

Writing about Wildfires Graphic Organizer

Topic Sentence:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are the causes of wildfires?

Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3:

What are the effects of wildfires?

Detail 1: Detail 2: Detail 3:

Concluding Statement:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


4 (Above Grade Level)

3(At Grade Level)

2(ApproachingGrade Level)

1(BelowGrade Level)

Focus/ Information

CCSS: • RI – 1 • W – 2

Responds skillfully to all parts of the prompt

Demonstrates a strong understanding of topic/text(s)

Responds to all parts of the prompt

Demonstrates an understanding of topic/text(s)

Responds to most parts of the prompt

Demonstrates limited understanding of topic/text(s)

Responds to some or no parts of the prompt

Demonstrates little to no understanding of topic/text(s)

Organization

CCSS: • W – 2a • W – 2c • W – 2e • W – 4

Organizes ideas and information into purposeful, coherent paragraphs that include an elaborated introduction with clear thesis, structured body, and insightful conclusion

Logically groups related information into paragraphs or sections, including formatting

Uses linking words, phrases, and clauses skillfully to connect ideas within categories of information

Organizes ideas and information into logical introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs

Groups related information into paragraphs or sections, including formatting (e.g., headings)

Uses linking words and phrases appropriately to connect ideas within categories of information

Organizes ideas and information in an attempted paragraph structure that includes a sense of introduction, body and conclusion

Grouping of ideas lacks cohesion (e.g., list‐like, rambling, or repetitive)

Attempts to use some simplistic linking words to connect ideas

Does not organize ideas and information coherently due to lack of paragraph structure and/or a missing introduction, body, or conclusion

Does not group related information together

Uses no linking words

Support/ Evidence

CCSS: • RI – 1 • W – 2b • W – 9b

Skillfully uses relevant and substantial text support from the resources with accuracy

Uses credible and varied sources

Develops the topic with well‐ integrated facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples

Uses relevant and sufficient text support from the resources with accuracy

Uses credible sources

Develops the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples

Uses mostly relevant text support but may lack sufficient evidence and/or accurate use

Uses mostly credible sources

Develops the topic with limited facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples

Does not use relevant or sufficient text support from the resources with accuracy

Uses few to no credible sources

Does not support opinion with facts, details, and/or reasons

Language

CCSS: • L – 2 • L – 3 • W – 2d

Uses purposeful and varied sentence structures

Demonstrates creativity and flexibility when using conventions (grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling) enhance readability

Utilizes precise and domain‐specific vocabulary accurately throughout student writing

Uses correct and varied sentence structures

Demonstrates grade level appropriate conventions; errors are minor and do not interfere with the readability

Utilizes precise language and domain‐specific vocabulary

Uses some repetitive yet correct sentence structure

Demonstrates some grade level appropriate conventions, but errors may interfere with the readability

Utilizes some precise language and/or domain‐specific vocabulary but minimally and/or inaccurately

Does not demonstrate sentence mastery

Demonstrates limited understanding of grade level conventions, and errors interfere with the readability

Does not utilize precise language or domain‐specific vocabulary


Editing Checklist

Problem Questions Comments

Sentence boundaries Are there fragments or run‐on sentences?

Word choice Are word choices appropriate? Do they convey ideas precisely?

Subject‐verb agreement Do main verbs agree with the subject in person and number?

Word forms Are any parts of verb phrases missing or incorrect? Are verb endings correct? Do other words have correct endings and forms?

Noun plurals Do regular plurals end in “s”? Are irregular plurals correct? Are there problems with count and non‐count nouns?

Spelling Are words spelled correctly?

Punctuation and Capitalization

Are periods, commas, and question marks used correctly? Are quotations punctuated correctly? Are capital letters used appropriately?

Other problems Are there other important problems?


Sample Layout for Student Articles

The Causes and Effects of Wildfires (Possible Article Title) by (student name)

Opening Paragraph: _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Illustration With Caption Body Paragraph #1: The Causes of Wildfires __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Body Paragraph #2: The Effects of Wildfires __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________

Concluding Paragraph: __________________________________________________________________ Illustration __________________________________________________________________ With Caption __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________


Summary of Story from Houghton Mifflin Handbook for English Learners


(Part of the Possible Text Set)

Lightning and Fire

Florida receives the most lightning strikes in North America. Scientists have recorded over 20 million lightning strikes in the continental United States, and Florida gets more than any other state. Florida is surrounded by water, with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. This amount of water means it can be very humid throughout the year. During the hot summer season, this mix of heat and humidity creates many thunderstorms. This pattern of storms and the lightning they often bring is predictable. It is so common that Florida has been called the Lightning Capital of the World, and the people of Florida know when to go inside! FIRE IS NATURAL Over billions of years, lightning and the fires they light on the ground have shaped our planet. Many plants and animals in Florida depend on fire, and have adapted to the constant presence of fire. A plant called wiregrass is so used to fire that it germinates, or grows out of its seeds, after a fire. The bare soil that remains after a fire is a soft and fertile soil bed. The wiregrass plant uses this soil bed to put down its roots. Without regular fires, wiregrasses might be taken over by other plants and trees that grow faster and taller. An animal in Florida that likes to eat wiregrass is the gopher tortoise. Wiregrass is a big part of a gopher tortoise’s diet, so regular fires mean gopher tortoises have a regular food supply. The gopher tortoise has adapted to fire by living and digging their homes, or burrows, in the ground. © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.


Lightning and Fire

They don’t have to dig very deep to escape a fire’s heat, but their burrows can be almost 10 feet deep. These burrows provide great protection from fire and other animals understand this too. Mice, frogs and snakes have been found in burrows with a tortoise, during fires. Skunks, coyotes and owls have often been found using burrows that tortoises abandon. FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE Many plants and animals need fire to survive and before we built our roads and cities, a fire could just burn and extinguish naturally. Today, when lightning hits the ground in and around our homes, fires can cause a lot of damage, so firefighters work very hard to stop them. When they aren’t fighting fires, some firefighters switch jobs and light fires on purpose! Don’t worry, they are burning forests and grasslands and not where we live and work. When they do this, they join something called a Prescribed Fire Crew. Prescribed Fire Crews light fires for two main reasons. One reason is to protect people from wildfires, and the other is to mimic nature. Although forest fires and grassfires can cause damage when they reach our homes and cities, fire is necessary for many plants and animals around the world. Just like us, these plants and animals live according to the seasons and know that the summer means more lightning and fires. They are ready for it and use it to their advantage. The fires they set are carefully planned with clear start‐and‐end points. By regularly burning parts of a forest, they prevent larger wildfires. In some ways, they are fighting fire with fire because regular burning keeps the amount of fuel low. This fuel can be anything found in forests, like trees, leaves and bushes. These fires are helpful for the plants and animals that depend on fire, and for the people that live close‐by. PASSING THE TORCH The weather and climate of Florida is unique. Storms and lightning are a fact of life there, especially in the summer. Florida’s plants and animals have adapted very well to a lightning‐rich environment. The people of Florida have also adapted to the weather and lightning with firefighters and prescribed fires. © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.


Questions: Lightning and Fire Name: _____________ Date: _______________________ 1. Which state in the United States receives more lightning strikes than any other?

A Texas B Florida C New York D California

2. Fires are an effect. What is one cause?

A lightning B wiregrass C gopher tortoises D the Gulf of Mexico

3. Many plants and animals in Florida depend on fire. What evidence from the passage supports this statement?

A Forest fires and grassfires can cause a lot of damage when they reach homes and cities.

B Prescribed Fire Crews set carefully planned fires with clear start-and-end points. C Florida is surrounded by water, with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic

Ocean to the east. D A plant called wiregrass uses the bare soil that remains after a fire to put down its

roots. 4. How do Prescribed Fire Crews fight fire with fire?

A They find homes for mice, frogs, and snakes during wildfires. B They find homes for skunks, coyotes, and owls during wildfires. C They live in a state with lots of lightning strikes. D They light carefully planned fires to prevent larger wildfires.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

A differences between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean B how thunderstorms are created from a mix of heat and humidity C fires in Florida and how they affect life there D why Florida is known as the Lightning Capital of the World

© 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. 1


Questions: Lightning and Fire 6. Read the following sentence: “Many plants and animals in Florida depend on fire, and have adapted to the constant presence of fire.” What does the word adapted mean in the sentence above?

A burned to the ground B changed in order to live with C set carefully planned fires D surrounded by water on all sides

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Lightning often strikes Florida; ______, fires are sometimes started.

A consequently B otherwise C such as D previously

8. What do gopher tortoises eat? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. 2


Questions: Lightning and Fire 9. Why are regular fires important to gopher tortoises? ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 10. Are fires in Florida helpful or harmful? Explain your answer with evidence from the passage. ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ © 2013 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved. 3


Teacher Guide & Answers: Lightning and Fire Teacher Guide & Answers

Passage Reading Level: Lexile 1080 1. Which state in the United States receives more lightning strikes than any other?

A Texas B Florida C New York D California

2. Fires are an effect. What is one cause?

A lightning B wiregrass C gopher tortoises D the Gulf of Mexico

3. Many plants and animals in Florida depend on fire. What evidence from the passage supports this statement?

A Forest fires and grassfires can cause a lot of damage when they reach homes and cities. B Prescribed Fire Crews set carefully planned fires with clear start-and-end points. C Florida is surrounded by water, with the Gulf of Mexico to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the

east. D A plant called wiregrass uses the bare soil that remains after a fire to put down its

roots. 4. How do Prescribed Fire Crews fight fire with fire?

A They find homes for mice, frogs, and snakes during wildfires. B They find homes for skunks, coyotes, and owls during wildfires. C They live in a state with lots of lightning strikes. D They light carefully planned fires to prevent larger wildfires.

5. What is this passage mostly about?

A differences between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean B how thunderstorms are created from a mix of heat and humidity C fires in Florida and how they affect life there D why Florida is known as the Lightning Capital of the World

6. Read the following sentence: “Many plants and animals in Florida depend on fire, and have adapted to the constant presence of fire.” What does the word adapted mean in the sentence above?

A burned to the ground B changed in order to live with C set carefully planned fires D surrounded by water on all sides



Teacher Guide & Answers: Lightning and Fire 7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below. Lightning often strikes Florida; ______, fires are sometimes started.

A consequently B otherwise C such as D previously

8. What do gopher tortoises eat? Suggested answer: Gopher tortoises eat wiregrass. 9. Why are regular fires important to gopher tortoises? Suggested answer: Students responses may paraphrase the sentence in the passage stating that regular fires mean gopher tortoises have a regular food supply. They may also go into more depth, explaining that because wiregrass needs fires to survive and wiregrass is a big part of a gopher tortoise’s diet, gopher tortoises need fires so that they have enough to eat. 10. Are fires in Florida helpful or harmful? Explain your answer with evidence from the passage. Suggested answer: Answers may vary. All students should be capable of making the argument that fires in Florida are helpful. As evidence, they may point to the importance of fires to the survival of plants and animals such as wiregrass and the gopher tortoise. Conversely, students may argue that fires in Florida are harmful. The passage states that fires can cause a lot of damage, particularly to homes and cities.



(Part of Possible Text Set)

Rim Fire wrecks the habitats of some of California's

rarest animals By Los Angeles Times, adapted by Newsela staff

Oct. 24, 2013

Lexile Level: 730

U.S. Forest Service scientist Todd J. Ellsworth surveys damage from the Rim Fire in Stanislaus National Forest near Tuolumne, Calif., on Sept. 13, 2013. Photo: Lawrence K. Ho/Los Angeles Times/MCT

GROVELAND, Calif. — A wildfire burned a huge area of the Sierra Nevada forests last summer. It was called the Rim Fire. But it did more than hurt the trees.

California's rarest animals live in the forests. The wildfire made big changes to their homes. That could be a problem for the animals: the great gray owl, the Sierra Nevada red fox and the Pacific fisher.

The fire hit the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park. It burned 257,000 acres. The area houses a group of roughly 200 great gray owls. The owls cannot be found anywhere else.

The blaze also came within 12 miles of 10 pairs of the red fox. The foxes are breeding. Their young could keep the animals around for future generations. The Sierra Nevada red fox lives in the mountains. It is barely surviving. Scientists feared that coyotes that were trying to escape the fire could have eaten the foxes.

Waiting To Count Wildlife U.S. scientists are also concerned about the loss of the possible home for the Pacific fisher. The animal is a member of the weasel family. There are about 500 of them. They live in dense old-growth forests south of Yosemite’s Merced River.


“In the Rim fire, only birds that could fly the farthest and animals that could run the fastest survived,” said John Buckley. He works for an environmental group. “It killed squirrels and bears." That could be especially bad for animals that only have a small number left, he said.

Biologists do not know how much the fire hurt wildlife, yet. They have not been allowed into severely burned areas. It is not safe for them to go there. It might not be for more than a year.

Even without that information, the government is coming up with ideas to help protect the animals. These include planting new trees. There may also be some logging. The idea is to save certain species from being wiped out. That effort was interrupted for more than two weeks this month, though. Federal wildlife biologists could not work during the government shutdown.

The blaze also looks like it hit dozens of areas where spotted owls and great grey owls nest. Great grey owls are the largest owls in North America. They are 2 feet tall and have a 5-foot wingspan. Their faces have large circles of feathers and piercing yellow eyes.

An Important Forest Resident Roy Bridgman is a wildlife biologist for the Stanislaus National Forest. He said he “visited a great owl nest that had been around for 20 years and it was collapsed." There are not a lot of great grey owls. Any loss is a big deal, he said.

But John Keane found a reason to be positive about 10 miles west of Yosemite. Keane is a government scientist who has studied great gray owls there for 15 years.

The fire spared meadows there. “If I had to put money on it, I’d say there are still owls here,” Keane said.

Local groups of bears, deer and other common animals are expected to recover. But it is not clear what will happen to the black-backed woodpecker.

The woodpecker is important in the forest. It will help other animals live. It creates holes for animals like Western bluebirds and squirrels to nest in, environmentalists say. It is also threatened by taking out the burned trees.

Competition, Above And Below Those competing interests are already playing out on mountain slopes that were hit by the fire.

Above, the woodpeckers were feasting on beetles. The insects began swarming dead trees while they were still smoking.

Below, crews were clearing trees away with chain saws and big-rig trucks.

“We’re looking for silver linings,” Bridgman said with a sigh. “But we’re caught between extremes.”


Extension Activities

From Seed to Sapling A sapling is a very young tree, which grows from a seed. Use a comic strip format (on paper or using a computer), to show how one seed gets from the tree into the soil and then grows to be a sapling. Draw the seed correctly from a specific tree. In telling the story, show what the seed needs in order to grow. Follow these steps for your comic strip:

1. Research the information. 2. Summarize it. 3. Plan how many panels the strip will have and what information and drawing

will appear in each one. 4. Swap comic strips with a partner. Read and discuss each other’s comic

strip.

Ask a Tree Suppose you could talk to a tree that survived the Yellowstone National Park fire described in Wildfires. Put yourself in the tree’s place as you write an essay about its experience. For example, you might write about how the wind blew and the fire jumped to neighboring trees. Conclude your essay by telling how it felt when rain came and the fire was over. Share your essay with a classmate.

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