ELA G3:M2:U3

Using Writing to Inform: Freaky Frog Text

In this unit, students apply what they have learned about the research process from Unit 2 to research and write an essay about a freaky frog of their choice as part of their performance task for this module. Students begin this unit by choosing a frog to study and reading informational texts to gather information about their frog and its unique adaptations. Students build on their learning about informational writing from Unit 2 to plan and draft an essay, discussing what makes an essay more complex than a paragraph.

For the mid-unit assessment, students will draft the second proof paragraph to their own essay. Then through mini lessons and peer critique, students will continue to draft, revise, and edit their writing. Finally, in the end of unit assessment, students incorporate teacher and peer feedback to revise their essays on demand. The unit ends with students compiling their writing from across the module to create the final performance task, a book about freaky frogs.

Big Ideas & Guiding Questions

How do experts build knowledge and share expertise about a topic?
Experts build knowledge by studying a topic in depth.
Experts share information through writing and speaking.
How do frogs survive?
Frogs have unique adaptations that help them to survive in various environments.

The Four Ts

Topic: Students continue to learn about frogs. They focus in on a particular frog during this unit, which they research in expert groups.
Task: Students write the second proof paragraph for an informative essay (mid-unit assessment). Then, students revise and edit their informative essay (end of unit assessment).
Targets (standards explicitly taught and assessed): W.3.2, W.3.4, W.3.5, W.3.6, W.3.7, W.3.10, L.3.1d, L.3.1e, L.3.1i, L.3.1j, and L.3.6
Text: Selections from Everything You Need to Know about Frogs and Other Slippery Creatures and "The Poison Dart Frog," "All about the Water-Holding Frog," "The Amazon Horned Frog," and "Transparent Wonder," texts about specific frogs.

Assessment

Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. 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.

Download this Unit’s Assessments

Content Connections

This module is designed to address English Language Arts standards and to be taught during the literacy block. But the module intentionally incorporates Science content that may align to additional teaching during other parts of the day. These intentional connections are described below.

Science (based on NGSS) or NGSS:
Note: Also consider using EL Education Grade 3 Life Science Module, a separate resource that includes approximately 24 hours of science instruction. This life science module explicitly addresses third-grade NGSS life science standards and naturally extends the learning from this ELA module.

Next Generation Science Standards

Life Science Performance Expectation:

3-LS3-2: Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment.

LS3.A: Inheritance of Traits: Other characteristics result from individuals' interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning. Many characteristics involve both inheritance and environment.
LS3.B: The environment also affects the traits that an organism develops.

Habits of Character/Social-Emotional Learning Focus

Central to EL Education's curriculum is a focus on "habits of character" and social-emotional learning. Students work to become effective learners, developing mindsets and skills for success in college, career, and life (e.g., initiative, responsibility, perseverance, collaboration); work to become ethical people, treating others well and standing up for what is right (e.g., empathy, integrity, respect, compassion); and work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities (e.g., citizenship, service).

In this unit, students work to contribute to a better world, putting their learning to use to improve communities by taking care of shared spaces as they work on technology to draft their writing.

Unit-at-a-Glance

Each unit is made up of a sequence of between 5-20 lessons. The “unit at a glance” chart in the curriculum map breaks down each unit into its lessons, to show how the curriculum is organized in terms of standards address, supporting targets, ongoing assessment, and protocols. It also indicates which lessons include the mid-unit and end-of-unit assessments.

View the unit-at-a-glance chart

Accountable Independent Reading

The ability to read and comprehend texts is the heart of literacy instruction. Comprehension is taught, reinforced, and assessed across both components of this curriculum: module lessons and the Additional Language and Literacy block. Refer to the 3M2 Module Overview for additional information.

In this unit, students continue to read research texts independently for homework, and engage in frequent research reading shares during the module lesson for accountability.

Supporting English Language Learners

The Meeting Students' Needs column in each lesson contains support for both ELLs and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and some supports can serve a wide range of student needs. However, ELLs have unique needs that cannot always be met with UDL support. According to federal guidelines, ELLs must be given access to the curriculum with appropriate supports, such as those that are specifically identified as "For ELLs" in the Meeting Students' Needs column.

Prioritizing lessons for classrooms with many ELLs: To prepare for the Unit 3 assessments, consider prioritizing and expanding instruction in Lessons 2-5, 7, 9, and 12 which establish the routine of researching, planning, drafting, and revising a multi-paragraph informational text and include a Language Dive. If necessary, consider placing less focus and condensing instruction in Lessons 1, 6, 10-11, 13, and 15, which provide valuable background, revision concepts, practice, repetition, synthesis, and celebration, but don't introduce as many concepts that enable students to begin writing their narrative. Note, however, that the process of revising is critical for ELLs; try to at least touch on it in this unit and then go more deeply in subsequent units.
Language Dives: All students participate in a Language Dive in Lessons 3 and 7. These Language Dives support students with language structures for introducing a character and setting in a narrative text. Many lessons also include optional Mini Language Dives for ELLs. To maximize language practice and accommodate time, consider dividing or reviewing each Language Dive over multiple lessons. Beginning in module 2 and going forward, create a "Language Chunk Wall"--an area in the classroom where students can display and categorize the academic phrases discussed in the Language Dive. At the end of each Language Dive, students are invited to place the Language Dive sentence strip chunks on the Language Chunk Wall into corresponding categories, such as "Nouns and noun phrases" or "Linking language." Consider color-coding each category. Examples: blue for nouns and subjects; purple for pronouns; red for predicates and verbs; yellow for adjectives; and green for adverbs. See each Language Dive for suggested categories. Students can then refer to the wall during subsequent speaking and writing tasks. For more information on Language Dives, see the Tools page.
Goals 1-3 Conversation Cues: Continue to encourage productive and equitable conversation with Conversation Cues, which are questions teachers can ask students to help achieve four goals: (Goal 1) encourage all students to talk and be understood; (Goal 2) listen carefully to one another and seek to understand; (Goal 3) deepen thinking; and (Goal 4) think with others to expand the conversation (adapted from Michaels, Sarah and O'Connor, Cathy. Talk Science Primer. Cambridge, MA: TERC, 2012. Based on Chapin, S., O'Connor, C., and Anderson, N. [2009]. Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn, Grades K-6. Second Edition. Sausalito, CA: Math Solutions Publications). See the Tools page for the complete set of cues. Goal 3 Conversation Cues are introduced in Unit 2, Lesson 1. Heightened language processing and development is a primary potential benefit for ELLs.
Diversity and Inclusion: Investigate the routines, practices, rituals, beliefs, norms, and experiences that are important to ELLs and their families. Integrate this background into the classroom as students investigate animal defense mechanisms. Take time to draw out students' prior experiences and associations with the animals introduced in this module if students are comfortable sharing. Some students may have ties to or experience with the countries of origin of the animals.
Language processing: Give ELLs sufficient time to think about what they want to say before they share with other students or write.
Evidence and intellectual property: To some ELLs, the concept of locating and citing evidence may seem strange or overemphasized. Copyright laws in the United States are different from the laws in some countries. Make sure students demonstrate that they know that citing evidence is an important part of supporting claims as well as giving credit in the United States.
Reading: gist, main idea, details: Some ELLs may struggle to distinguish between the gist, main idea, and supporting details in a text. See the lesson-specific supports for additional guidance.
Writing: The conventional writing process and four-paragraph structure will be unfamiliar and challenging for some ELLs. Question what you think students know; see the numerous lesson-specific supports for suggestions.
Independent and dependent clauses: Begin conversations about the structure of English compound and complex sentences. Ask students how they compare with their home languages. Once students understand the components of and differences between an independent and dependent clause, they can make huge gains in writing clearly.
Celebration: Celebrate the courage, enthusiasm, diversity, and bilingual skills that ELLs bring to the classroom.

Texts to Buy

Texts that need to be procured. Please download the Trade Book List for procurement guidance.

Text or Resource	Quantity	ISBNs
Everything You Need to Know about Frogs: And Other Slippery Creatures by DK Publishing	1 per student	ISBN: 9780756682323

Preparation and Materials

To assess W.3.6, students will need access to technology to word-process their informative essays about freaky frogs. Connect with technology specialists in advance to ensure that you have the resources and expertise you need to support this work effectively.
Gather the following materials from previous modules for use in this unit:

World map
The Painted Essay ((tm)) template
Painting an Essay lesson plan
Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart
Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart
Affix lists
Vocabulary logs
Tracking Progress folders
Linking Words and Phrases handout

Technology and Multimedia

Google Docs - Create collaborative online word-processing docs and spreadsheets in folders: Consider creating the Freaky Frog research notebook in Google Docs for students to complete online. To do this, create a master Freaky Frog folder, and within that a folder for each student. Convert the pages of the Freaky Frog research notebook into either a single Google Doc or multiple docs (one for each page of the notebook) and copy these into each student folder.
Seesaw - Create student learning portfolios to share with other students, families: Consider audio/video recording students reading their pourquoi tales to share with families.
Frogs - Additional reading and research: Students read and research to learn more about frogs (independent reading time, pair/small group work, whole class).

'Frogs'. Exploratorium. Web. Accessed on 24 May, 2016.

Frog and Toad - Additional reading and research: Students read and research to learn more about frogs (independent reading time, pair/small group work, whole class).

Frog - Additional reading and research: Students read and research to learn more about frogs (independent reading time, pair/small group work, whole class).

'Frog'. A-Z Animals. Wed Accessed on 24 May 2016.

Frogs: A Chorus of Colors - Additional reading and research: Students read and research to learn more about frogs (independent reading time, pair/small group work, whole class).

'Frogs: A Chorus of Colors'. American Museum of Natural History. Web. Accessed on 24 May, 2016.

Reptiles and Amphibians - Additional reading and research: Students read and research to learn more about frogs (independent reading time, pair/small group work, whole class).

'Reptiles and Amphibians'. Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Web. Accessed on 24 May, 2016.

Frog Calls - Additional research: Students listen to the different sounds that frogs make.

'Frog Calls'. Animal Diversity Web. Web. Accessed on 24 May, 2016.

Additional Language and Literacy Block

The Additional Language and Literacy (ALL) Block is 1 hour of instruction per day. It is designed to work in concert with and in addition to the 1-hour Grades 3-5 ELA "module lessons." Taken together, these 2 hours of instruction comprehensively address all the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

The ALL Block has five components: Additional Work with Complex Text; Reading and Speaking Fluency/GUM (Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics); Writing Practice; Word Study and Vocabulary; and Independent Reading.

The ALL Block has three 2-week units which parallel to the three units of the module.

Lessons

ELA G3:M2:U3:L1

Reading Informational Texts: Researching Freaky Frogs

ELA G3:M2:U3:L2

Reading Informational Texts: Researching Freaky Frogs

ELA G3:M2:U3:L3

Writing Informational Texts: Planning an Introduction about My Freaky Frog

ELA G3:M2:U3:L4

Writing Informational Texts: Drafting an Introduction about My Freaky Frog

ELA G3:M2:U3:L5

Writing Informational Texts: Planning a Proof Paragraph about My Freaky Frog

ELA G3:M2:U3:L6

Mid-Unit 3 Assessment: Informative Paragraph: Describing Freaky Frog Adaptations

ELA G3:M2:U3:L7

Writing Informational Texts: Writing a Conclusion about My Freaky Frog

ELA G3:M2:U3:L8

Writing Informational Texts: Revising for Conventions and Word Choice

ELA G3:M2:U3:L9

Performance Task: Front and Back Cover of Freaky Frog Book

ELA G3:M2:U3:L10

End of Unit 3 Assessment: Informative Essay: Revising and Editing a Description of My Freaky Frog

ELA G3:M2:U3:L11

Performance Task: Freaky Frog Trading Card

ELA G3:M2:U3:L12

Performance Task: Compiling Freaky Frog Books

Optional: Community, Experts, Fieldwork, Service, and Extensions

Community:

If you have a number of English language learners speaking the same native language, invite family members to come into the classroom to talk with ELLs in their native language about the narratives and poems students are reading, and about the freaky frogs students are researching.

Experts:

Have a storyteller, poet, and/or author of fictional narratives come in to speak to the students about their craft.
Have a wildlife expert come in to talk to the students about local amphibians, frogs, and their life cycles.
Have a professional writer visit the class to discuss the writing process. Ask the writer to share how he or she researches topics to write about.

Fieldwork:

Visit a local wildlife preserve to see tadpoles and frogs in the wild.
Visit a local zoo or nature center exhibit on amphibians and to observe the frogs students are learning about for additional research to inform writing.

Service:

Reach out to amphibian conservation organizations or poetry/narrative organizations to share student work for possible use in their publications.
Share Freaky Frog books and trading cards with the local zoo; perhaps the zoo can display them or use them for classes.

Extensions:

Allow students to write pourquoi tales about more than one "why" question or about animals other than frogs.
Encourage students to write their own poems about the frogs they are learning about.
Research countries inhabited by the freaky frogs studied. Locate countries on a map where certain frogs live.
Have students add additional writing pieces from the module to their books.
Have students read aloud or share their books with students in other grades.