Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Bird Feathers and Beaks | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M3:U2:L1

Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Bird Feathers and Beaks

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.1.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
  • SL.1.1b: Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.
  • L.1.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can closely view pictures to gather information about bird beaks and feathers. (W.1.8, SL.1.1)
  • I can participate in a conversation about what I observe and wonder about bird beaks and feathers. (SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Close Viewing protocol in Work Time B and the Closing, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress toward SL.1.1a and SL.1.1b (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During the writing portion of the Close Viewing protocol in Work Time B, use the Writing Checklist to track students' progress toward W.1.8 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Learner: "Mystery Bird Body Parts" (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading Aloud: Flight School (10 minutes)

B. Close Viewing Protocol: Observations about Beaks and Feathers (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Shared Writing: Observations about Beaks and Feathers (15 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • Unit 2 opens with a new focus: Birds have specific body parts that help them survive. Throughout this unit, students continue to build their research skills as they start to answer the Unit 2 guiding question: "How do birds use their body parts to survive?"
  • This lesson connects to Next Generation Science Standard 1-LS3-1. During Work Time B, students focus on the following science and engineering practice: Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidence-based account for natural phenomena. Encourage students to use evidence from the photographs as they share their observations.
  • This lesson follows similar routines as those introduced in Lessons 1-2 of Unit 1. Consider how this lesson might build on the instructional routines already introduced to students (e.g., learning targets, drawing to communicate ideas, transitions, use of Materials). Make modifications to this lesson based on what students have experienced to this point in the school year, and consider reallocating time as needed.
  • Continue to nurture an inquiry-rich classroom environment by inviting students to observe and ask questions about bird beaks and feathers as they look at photographs while participating in the Close Viewing protocol during Work Time B.
  • During Work Time B, students engage in the Close Viewing protocol to observe photographs of bird beaks and feathers. Providing engaging experiences coupled with opportunities to speak, draw, and write about those experiences honors young learners' natural curiosity while building their language skills.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Work Time A, students listen to a mystery riddle to build their curiosity toward the topic of this unit. Students should be familiar with this routine from Unit 1.
  • This lesson follows a similar routine to Lesson 1 in Unit 1, as students listen to a read-aloud of a text about bird features, engage in small group observations, and share their thinking about the unit guiding question.
  • This lesson also builds on the observation routine established in Unit 1. Students are introduced to a new Close Viewing protocol while continuing to practice discussing observations and asking questions while observing bird artifacts.
  • Continue to use Goal 1-4 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversations.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may have difficulty focusing on a specific detail in the beak and feather pictures. Consider masking off a portion of the pictures to better focus attention on specific details.
  • Students may need support as they engage in conversations with a partner during the Close Viewing protocol in Work Time B. Consider providing the sentence frames: I notice ____; I see _____.

Down the road:

  • Throughout this unit, students continue to build their skills and knowledge as researchers and informational writers. This lesson lays this foundation for this as students review the concept of research and continue to practice a few of the research skills on the What Researchers Do anchor chart.
  • At this point in the unit, students may have misconceptions about the importance of bird beaks and feathers, but they will continue to refine their misconceptions as they conduct research to gain more knowledge.
  • In this lesson, students complete page 1 of their Birds Research notebook, Part II. Students will continue to use the notebook throughout Unit 2; consider a storage option that will give students efficient and independent access. If time allows, also consider letting students create a front cover for their notebooks.

In Advance

  • Prepare copies of beak pictures, sets 1 and 2; feather pictures, sets 1 and 2, and Beak Pictures: Teacher Model in color, if possible (see supporting Materials).
  • Preview Mystery Body Parts Riddle and page 1 of the Birds Research notebook, Part II (example, for teacher reference).
  • Strategically pair students for partner work in Work Time B with at least one strong writer per pair.
  • Pre-distribute Materials for Work Time B at student workspaces.
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive white board or document camera to display lesson Materials.

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1 and 2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 1.I.A.1, 1.I.B.8, and 1.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by creating excitement for learning through a mystery riddle, providing opportunities to engage in activities that foster inquiry, and through participating in structured discussions.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to listen to Flight School (by Lita Judge) being read aloud without stopping, especially if they do not understand some of the figurative language used in the text (see "Levels of support" and the Meeting Students' Needs column).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite students to create sentence frames to support sharing orally. Invite students who need heavier support to use the frames. Examples:
    • "I observed beaks _____."
    • "I observed feathers _____."
    • "I wonder if beaks _____."
    • "I wonder if feathers _____."

For heavier support:

  • Consider rereading Flight School. Students may also benefit from discussing the text after reading it. Ensure students understand the figurative language (e.g., "I have the soul of an eagle" and "In my heart I live on the wind").

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Similar to Unit 1, continue to offer options for perception by displaying the text on a document camera or an enlarged copy of the text to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page as they follow along.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, individual students are asked to share ideas with the whole group. As students share out, continue to provide options for expression and communication by offering and modeling sentence frames.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): As students engage with the texts during this lesson, continue to support students in linking the information presented back to the learning target to emphasize and remind them of the instructional goal.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T); Vocabulary Used in Writing (W)

New:

  • body part, survive (L)
  • mighty (T)

Review:

  • riddle, notice, wonder, beak, feather, observe (L)

Materials

  • "Mystery Bird Body Parts" (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Flight School (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • What Researchers Do anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 1)
  • Close Viewing Protocol anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see supporting Materials)
  • Beak Pictures: Teacher Model (one for teacher modeling)
  • Beak pictures, set 1 (one per pair; used by half of the class)
  • Beak pictures, set 2 (one per pair; used by the other half of the class)
  • Feather pictures, set 1 (one per pair)
  • Feather pictures, set 2 (one per pair)
  • Birds Research notebook, Part II (page 1; one per student)
  • Birds Research notebook, Part II (example, for teacher reference)
  • Observations about Beaks and Feathers anchor chart (new; co-created with students during the Closing; see supporting Materials)

Assessment

Each unit in the K-2 Language Arts Curriculum has one standards-based assessment built in. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize their understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Learner: "Mystery Bird Body Parts" (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Reveal that the class has received a mysterious riddle that they will have to work together to solve. Just like detectives, they have to listen closely for clues in the riddle to help them solve the mystery.
  • Display the two sentences only of "Mystery Bird Body Parts." Invite students to listen closely to the riddle as you reveal and read aloud each line.
  • Define body part (a part or section of a human or animal body) and survive (to continue to live or grow).
  • Tell students that at certain points during the reading, they will turn and talk, or act out parts of the riddle with their bodies.
  • Slowly reveal and read the next two sentences. Turn and Talk:

"What is something that is soft and fluffy?"

"What is something that is vibrant or full of color?"

  • Invite students to stand up so they may act out the next sentence ("These parts help some of us fly ...").
  • Turn and Talk in a whisper voice:

"What is the riddle about? Why do you think so?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Invite students to sit down again. Read lines 6-7.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What is another word for mighty?" (strong)

"What is something tiny? Massive?" (Responses will vary, but may include: tiny = pebble; massive = boulder.)

  • Reread lines 6-7 again and ask students to demonstrate the words straight or curved with their hands.
  • Read the next sentence and invite students to act out the words crush, build, scoop, and pull.
  • Read the remainder of the riddle and ask students to quietly put their thumb at their chest if they think they know the type of animal being described.
  • Tell students that on the count of three, they will do a microphone share; anyone can shout out his or her answer to the riddle.
  • Students are likely to guess that feathers and beaks are the mystery body parts.
  • Ask a few students to share specific clues from the riddle that helped them solve it.
  • Tell students that throughout this unit they are going to learn so much about feathers and beaks!
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with Vocabulary: (Defining Words) Invite students to explain the meanings of riddle, unique, and vibrant. Invite students to recall any relevant prior knowledge. (Examples: Remind students of the riddle from Unit 1 and that vibrant was paired with colorful in their shades of meaning investigation.) (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with auditory processing: Provide a visual display of the questions for discussion. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading Aloud: Flight School (10 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Display Flight School. Share with students that this book will help them begin to learn about how special body parts of birds help specific birds do different things. Draw students' attention to the title of the book and read the title aloud.
  • While still displaying the text, complete a first read of the text, reading slowly, fluently, with expression, and without interruption.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What was this book mostly about?" (a penguin who wants to fly but who is not able to do so without some special feathers given to him by his friends)

"What special bird body part was this book about?" (feathers)

  • Turn and Talk:

"What are other special body parts that birds have?" (beaks, feathers, feet, etc.)

"How do these body parts help them do different things?" (Responses will vary, but may include: beaks help them eat; feathers keep them warm.)

  • Circulate as students talk and target a few students to share out.
  • If productive, cue students to add on:

"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that during this unit they are going to investigate two of these special bird body parts--beaks and feathers--and research how these parts help birds survive.
  • Tell students they are now going to have a chance to look at some pictures of different types of feathers and beaks so they can begin to learn more about them.
  • For ELLs: (Recalling Language Dive) Recall the sentence from the Language Dive from Unit 1, Lesson 3: "All of them have wings, and most can fly." Remind students there are more birds that can fly than birds that cannot fly.
  • For ELLs: (Errors) As students interact, jot down and share with the class samples of effective communication and one or two common language errors (pervasive, stigmatizing, critical).
  • Before reading, provide white boards and dry-erase markers as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This will scaffold active listening that will support students in determining what the book is mostly about. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Close Viewing Protocol: Observations about Beaks and Feathers (25 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can closely view pictures to gather information about bird beaks and feathers."

  • Direct students' attention to the What Researchers Do anchor chart and focus them on:
    • "Observe closely"
  • Review the definition of observe (to watch with care) as needed.
  • Remind students that in the last unit they practiced observing pictures and videos as they began to learn about birds.
  • Tell students that they will now use a new protocol called the Close Viewing protocol to observe pictures of bird beaks and feathers.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Why do we sometimes observe pictures instead of real-life specimens?" (because sometimes it's easier to observe a pictures; sometimes we can see more details when looking at a picture)

"How does observing pictures help us gather important information?" (We can see and notice things.)

  • Referring to the Close Viewing Protocol anchor chart, explain the steps of the protocol to students:
  1. Zoom in on one part of the picture.
  2. Look closely at the details in that part of the picture.
  3. Think about what the details helped you learn about the picture.
  4. Tell a partner about your details.
  5. Draw and write a note about those details.
  • Think aloud to model the protocol:
    • "I will begin by closely viewing the Beak Pictures: Teacher Model. I notice that in this set there are two pictures. I will choose to closely view the picture of the pelican on the top. As I closely view the picture of the pelican, I want to pay attention to the beak. I want to think about what the beak looks like (shape and size) and start to think about how this beak helps the pelican."
    • "I will then share what I noticed with my partner when we are both finished closely viewing the beak pictures."
    • "After sharing with my partner, I will then turn to page 1 of my Birds Research notebook, Part II and will draw and write about my observations of the beaks."
  • "After closely viewing the pictures of the beaks, I notice that a pelican's beak is large and long. I will draw it to be large and long."
  • "I will add a note that says, 'I notice that beaks can be large and long.'"
    • "When my partner and I are finished writing and drawing about the beaks in our notebooks, we will repeat the cycle using the feather pictures. As I closely view the feather pictures, I want to think about what the different feathers look like (shape and size) and start to think about how the feathers help the bird."
  • Tell students that they will work with a partner to complete two cycles of close viewing: one with a set of beak pictures and one with a set of feather pictures.
  • Answer clarifying questions.
  • Move students into pre-determined pairs.
  • Distribute beak pictures, set 1 (or) 2.
  • Transition students to their workspaces with their partners and point out the Birds Research notebook, Part II already at their workspaces.
  • Guide students through the first cycle of the protocol using the beak pictures. Refer to the Birds Research notebook, Part II (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • After 8 minutes, distribute feather pictures, set 1 (or) 2 and invite students to begin the second cycle with the feather pictures. Again refer to the Birds Research notebook, Part II (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • After another 8 minutes, signal all students to stop working, collect pictures and notebooks, and refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that they will have the opportunity to share some of their observations about beaks and feathers during the next part of the lesson.
  • For ELLs: (Using Charts) Review the language on the What Researchers Do anchor chart and invite students to recall how they used the chart in Unit 1.
  • For ELLs: (Modeling and Thinking Aloud: Close Viewing Protocol) Ask students to share what they noticed the teachers and students did and thought about while modeling how to follow the steps of the Close Viewing Protocol anchor chart and how to draw and write a note in their notebooks.
  • For students who may need additional support with motivation: Continue to strategically pair students to ensure they have a strong, politely helpful partner to support their efforts. (MME)
  • For students who may need additional support with written expression: Offer index cards with key words to use as they write their observations. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Shared Writing: Observations about Beaks and Feathers (15 minutes)

  • Refocus students and give them specific, positive feedback on their work on closely viewing different types of bird beaks and feathers.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud.

"I can participate in a conversation about what I observe and wonder about bird beaks and feathers."

  • Tell students that they will now have a chance to share some of their observations from the close viewing of beaks and feathers.
  • Direct students' attention to the Observations about Beaks and Feathers anchor chart and read aloud the unit guiding question:
    • "How do birds use their body parts to survive?"
  • Invite students to take a couple of seconds to think about the question independently.
  • Tell students that this question will guide their research for this unit.
  • Explain that today, students will begin to think about this question by first sharing what they noticed about beaks and feathers during the Close Viewing protocol. They will add their observations and questions about beaks and feathers to the Observations about Beaks and Feathers anchor chart.
  • Point to the first column of the anchor chart and read the heading aloud:
    • "We observe that beaks and feathers ..."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What did you observe about beaks and feathers?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Some beaks are long, some are curved, some are flat; some feathers are bright colored, and others are fluffy.)

  • As students share out, clarify and capture their responses on the anchor chart.
  • Point to the first column of the anchor chart and read the heading aloud:
    • "We wonder if beaks and feathers ..."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What do you wonder about beaks and feathers?" (Responses will vary.)

  • As students share out, clarify and capture their questions on the Observations about Beaks and Feathers anchor chart.
  • Tell students that they will continue to think about the Unit 2 guiding question as they begin to research feathers and beaks throughout this unit.
  • For ELLs: (Owning Learning Targets) Invite students to give specific examples of how they will work toward meeting the learning targets in this lesson.
  • For ELLs: (Rereading) Invite students to reread what was captured on the Observations about Beaks and Feathers anchor chart in this lesson.
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for verbal expression: Scaffold students' sharing by displaying describing words for students to reference as they share their observations. (Example: curved, flat, fluffy, sharp, colorful, bright.) (MMAE, MME)

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