Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud, Session 3 and Discussion about Temperature | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M2:U1:L4

Reading, Speaking, and Listening: Close Read-aloud, Session 3 and Discussion about Temperature

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RI.K.2: With prompting and support, identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • RI.K.4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.K.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can ask and answer questions about temperature using Weather Words and What They Mean. (RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4)
  • I can use words and pictures to describe what I observe about temperature. (SL.K.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the close read-aloud in Work Time A, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.K.1, RI.K.2, and RI.K.4 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During Work Time C, observe students using their drawings to support discussion about temperature and use the Speaking and Listening checklist to track their progress toward SL.K.5 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "What Makes Weather?" Song (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Weather Words and What They Mean, Pages 6-7 (20 minutes)

B. Engaging the Scientist: Interactive Experience with Temperature, Part II (10 minutes)

C. Structured Discussion: Sharing Observations about Temperature (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal (10 min)

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • This lesson invites students to build, develop, and then use vocabulary about weather concepts.
  • During the Opening, students learn the final verses of the "What Makes Weather?" song. Learning challenging, content-based vocabulary through song and movement supports language development in a developmentally appropriate way for young learners.
  • This lesson contains the third in a series of six close read-aloud sessions. Recall that close read-alouds are distinct from and do not replace more typical daily read-alouds. Daily read-alouds are essential so students experience the volume of reading needed to build their world knowledge and vocabulary. For suggestions of texts (related to the module topic) to use in more typical read-alouds, see the Recommended Texts and Other Resources list. These texts can be purchased; many of them can also be found in local libraries. To enhance this list, consider bringing in other texts you know of that relate to the module topic.
  • During Work Time A, students closely study pages 6-7 of Weather Words and What They Mean, building a rich bank of vocabulary to support their understanding of temperature and how it makes the weather. (RI.K.1, RI.K.2, RI.K.4)
  • During Work Time B, students are able to add to their drawings about temperature observations after briefly reviewing the interactive experience with temperature. (SL.K.5)

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lessons 2-3, students listened to the entire text of Weather Words and What They Mean read aloud. Now, in Session 3 of this close read-aloud, students closely study pages 6-7 of the text. Continue to reinforce the value of revisiting this rich and complex text many times to think about the important ideas and learn new content-based vocabulary.
  • Revisiting learning targets over several lessons familiarizes students with the language of the target and gives them opportunities to practice the skills in the target over time.
  • In the previous lesson, students engaged in an interactive experience with temperature. In this lesson, they continue to draw and write about that experience and then discuss temperature with a partner.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • The vocabulary in the "What Makes Weather?" song is challenging content-based vocabulary. Many of these words will be explicitly taught in subsequent sessions of the close read-aloud. However, consider pre-teaching terms such as moisture and air pressure if necessary.
  • Consider providing students with sentence frames to support the discussion in Work Time C. Example: "I observed _________, and this taught me __________ about temperature."
  • During Closing A, students continue to engage in the interactive writing instructional practice as part of the class weather journal routine. In Part 3 of the class weather journal, students will share the pen with the teacher as they complete the sentence using one of six predetermined weather words to describe the day's weather. As in Lessons 2-3, when determining for which parts of words they will share the pen, consider your students' letter-sound relationship knowledge.

Down the road:

  • In the Closing, students reflect on their progress toward becoming weather experts. Throughout the module, guide students toward more specific responses (e.g., "I know that moisture is water in the air, and that is what causes clouds, rain, and snow").

In Advance

  • Preview the Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students. Complete only Session 3 in this lesson, as students will complete the remaining sessions in Lesson 5-7.
  • Gather a cup of ice water, cup of hot water, and thermometer for the interactive experience in Work Time B.
  • Distribute student materials for Work Time B (Meteorologist's notebook) at students' seats in the whole group area. This helps to ensure a smooth transition for Work Time.
  • Prepare:
  • Class weather journal template by writing it on chart paper.
  • Sofia paper doll by copying on cardstock and cutting it out.
  • Post: Learning targets, "What Makes Weather?" song, class weather journal template, and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • If students were recorded singing "What Makes Weather?" in previous lessons, consider playing this recording to remind students of the song.
  • Record the whole group singing the fourth and fifth verses of the "What Makes Weather?" song and post it on a teacher web page or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to listen to at home with families. Most devices (cellphones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.
  • Create the Frayer Model: Temperature chart in an online format, such as a Google Doc, for display and for families to access at home to reinforce these skills.
  • Students view temperature pictures in an online gallery or presentation, such as Google Slides.
  • If students were recorded completing the class weather journal in Lessons 1 or 2, consider playing this recording to remind students of the process.
  • If you recorded students participating in the Think-Pair-Share protocol in Lesson 3, play this video to remind them what to do.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.1, K.1.B.5, and K.I.B.6

Important points in the lesson itself:

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to review and revisit their experience with using a thermometer to measure temperature. This will offer students a familiar schema that will help them comprehend and develop academic language.
  • ELLs may find it challenging using academic language such as temperature and thermometer. The connection between the information in the close read-aloud and the interactive experience may seem abstract at first. Prompt students to use the academic language to describe their experiences as much as possible. Frequently make explicit connections between the read-aloud material and their classroom experiences. See the Meeting Students' Needs column for details.

Levels of support:

For lighter support:

  • During Closing and Assessment A, consider providing students with personal white boards or their own copies of the class weather journal so they can complete their own writing along with the class. This will allow all students to practice, to remain engaged throughout the activity, and to provide real-time assessment data.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time B, as students draw and label their observations, give struggling writers index cards with illustrations for key words. They can use the index cards as guides for writing labels.
  • During Work Time B, invite students to work with a mentor of a more advanced proficiency level as they add details to their drawing. If they speak the same home language, allow them to discuss the task in their home language.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During the Opening, students review the term component. Maximize transfer by providing an example of another way to use this term.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): This lesson invites students to return to the Temperature page of their Meteorologist's notebook to add more details. Support self-monitoring and reflection by thinking aloud as you model adding details to your own drawing.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Session 3 of the close read-aloud introduces the idea of seasons (summer and winter). Contextualize the discussion of seasons based on the students' experiences with climate. For example, some students may have lived places with a rainy and dry season.

Vocabulary

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

Review:

  • component, weather (L); temperature (T)

Materials

  • What Makes Weather? song (from Lesson 2; one to display)
  • Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean (from Lesson 2; Session 3; for teacher reference)
  • Weather Words and What They Mean (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Reading Informational Text Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Frayer Model: Temperature chart (new, co-created with students during Work Time A; see Close Read-aloud Guide)
  • Temperature pictures (four)
  • Thermometer (from Lesson 3; one for teacher modeling)
  • Cup of ice water (one for teacher modeling)
  • Cup of hot water (one for teacher modeling)
  • Meteorologist's notebook (from Lesson 2; one per student)
    • Temperature page (from Lesson 3; page 2 of Meteorologist's notebook)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Think-Pair-Share anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
  • Conversation Partners chart (from Module 1)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Class weather journal template (blank; from Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Sofia paper doll (new; teacher-created; see Teaching Notes)

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. Song and Movement: "What Makes Weather?" Song (5 minutes)

  • Gather whole group.
  • Remind students that in the previous lessons, they began learning a new song about the four components of weather. Today they will learn the last two verses of the song.
  • Briefly review the definition of component (a part of something).
  • Display the "What Makes Weather?" song and invite students to join you to sing the first three verses of the song.
  • After singing the first three verses together, tell students that in a moment you will model singing the fourth and fifth verses of the song. The fourth verse is about wind, and the fifth verse is about air pressure.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does this song tell us about temperature? How did we observe that in the previous lesson?" (Temperature can go high or low. We observed that when the thermometer went in the cup of ice water and the cup of hot water.)

  • Explain that as students continue reading Weather Words and What They Mean, they will learn more about wind and air pressure.
  • Invite students to follow along as you track the print and sing the fourth and fifth verses of the song.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are some hand gestures and actions that might help us remember these verses about wind and air pressure?" (gesturing for wind blowing or swaying the trees; pushing our hands together to show air pressing down on earth)

  • Invite students to join you in singing the entire song and using their own chosen hand gestures and actions.
  • Repeat two or three times or as time permits.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension and vocabulary: When reviewing the definition of component, maximize transfer by providing an example of another way to use this term. Example: "We know that temperature is a component, or a part, of weather. We can use the word component to help describe other things with parts. For example, one component of a computer is the keyboard. What's another component of a computer?" (monitor, mouse) (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Read-aloud, Session 3: Weather Words and What They Mean, Pages 6-7 (20 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
    •  "I can ask and answer questions about temperature using Weather Words and What They Mean."
  • Invite students to take out their magical bows and take aim at the learning target.
  • Briefly review the definition of weather (the conditions outside; weather concerns such things as temperature, rain, snow, sun, and other factors).
  • Briefly review the definition of temperature (the degree of heat or cold in an object or in the environment).
  • Guide students through the close read-aloud for Weather Words and What They Mean using the Close Read-aloud Guide: Weather Words and What They Mean (Session 3; for teacher reference). Consider using the Reading Text Informational Checklist during the close read-aloud (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Refer to the guide for the use of the Frayer Model: Temperature chart and temperature pictures.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with recruiting interest: When reading about seasons (summer and winter) on page 7, contextualize the discussion based on the students' experiences with climate. For example, some students may have lived places with a rainy and dry season. (MME)
  • For ELLs: To ensure that the purpose of the Frayer Model: Temperature chart is clear, prompt students using a Conversation Cue: Ask:
    • "Can you figure out why we are making a chart about temperatures?" (Responses will vary, but may include: so we can understand temperature words; so we can learn more about temperature.)
  • For ELLs: During the close read-aloud, provide sentence frames for Think-Pair-Shares and student responses. (Example: "The weather today is _______.")
  • For ELLs: During the close read-aloud, display the text on a document camera or display an enlarged copy of the text to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page.

B. Engaging the Scientist: Interactive Experience with Temperature, Part II (10 minutes)

  • Inform students that they are going to revisit their experience with temperature from the previous lesson. Tell them that today they will get a chance to add details or additional information to their drawings and then discuss what they observe about temperature with their conversation partner.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:
    •  "I can use words and pictures to describe what I observe about temperature."
  • Show students the thermometer and, using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What happens to the red part of the thermometer when it is cold outside, like when I put the thermometer into the cup of ice water?" (It goes down.)

  • Invite students to show with their bodies what happens with the red part of the thermometer when it is cold outside.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What happens to the red part of the thermometer when it is hot outside, like when I put the thermometer into the cup of hot water?" (It goes up.)

  • Invite students to show with their bodies what happens with the red part of the thermometer when it is hot outside.
  • Remind students that in the previous lesson, they observed how a thermometer helps to show changes in temperature.
  • As a reminder of what students observed in the previous lesson, show them the cup of ice water and cup of hot water. Briefly review what happens to a thermometer to show changes in temperature by placing the thermometer in each cup and circulating to show students.
  • Point out the Meteorologist's notebooks and pencils already at students' tables. Invite them to take their notebook and turn to the Temperature page.
  • Invite students to add details or labels to their drawings. Circulate to support them as necessary, prompting them by asking:

"What did you observe happen with the thermometer?"

"How does your drawing show that?"

  • Prompt students to use the Frayer Model: Temperature chart as a resource to add details to their drawings or accompanying labels.
  • Give students 5 minutes of drawing and writing time.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: Before inviting students to add to their drawings on the Temperature page of their Meteorologist's notebook, support self-monitoring and reflection by thinking aloud as you model adding details to your own drawing. (Example: "Hmm. I think the picture I drew yesterday is good, but today when I was studying the thermometer, I noticed there were numbers on the side of it. I didn't include these in my drawing yesterday! I am going to add them now to make my drawing even better.") (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Generate and display an illustrated list of possible details students can add to their drawings. (Examples: numbers, different colors, ice in the water, labels that describe the temperature)
  • For ELLs: Remind students that details are small and important parts of something. Before inviting students to add to their drawings, prompt them to think about one detail they might add. After 30 seconds of think time, call on some students to share the detail they are planning to add to their drawing, using the sentence frame: "One detail I will add is _______."

C. Structured Discussion: Sharing Observations about Temperature (10 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group and offer specific, positive feedback about students' drawings. (Example: "I saw that everyone added one or two new details to their drawings to clearly show what they observed about temperature.")
  • Tell students they are going to use the Think-Pair-Share protocol to discuss what they know about temperature with their conversation partner. Remind them that they used this protocol in Module 1 and review as necessary using the Think-Pair-Share anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Referring to the Conversation Partners chart, invite students to partner up with their predetermined partner and sit facing one another. Make sure students know which partner is A and which is B, and that each partner has the Temperature page from his or her Meteorologist's notebook easily accessible.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What did you observe about temperature? What have you learned about temperature?" (I observed the thermometer going up when the water was hot. I observed the thermometer going down when the water was cold.)

  • As students talk, circulate and listen in. Prompt them to use their drawings to support their discussions. Take note of the ideas students are sharing and target a few students to share out with the whole group.
  • Using the Speaking and Listening Checklist, take note of how students use their drawings to support what they are saying. Document progress toward SL.K.5 on the checklist.
  • Refocus whole group and call on selected students to share out.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing their thoughts for expression: When circulating and listening in during the Think-Pair-Share, scaffold partner conversations as needed. Some students may benefit from explicit prompting or a sentence frame. (Example: "I noticed the temperature _____ when _______.") (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: Provide dialogue to help students decide who would like to share first. Example:
  • "Would you like to share first?"
  • "Yes, I would" or "No, thanks, I would prefer to go second."
  • Consider writing the dialogue in a speech bubble and holding it up with a Popsicle stick.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group and offer specific, positive feedback on their drawing and writing. (Example: "I noticed that everyone really thought about what they observed about temperature as they drew and labeled.")
  • Direct students' attention to the posted class weather journal template and remind them that because they are becoming weather experts, they are reporting on the weather, just like meteorologists do.
  • Follow the Interactive Writing: Class Weather Journal instructional practice from Lesson 2 to complete Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the class weather journal template.

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Display the Sofia paper doll and tell students who she is.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What challenge did Sofia give us when we first heard her story during Lesson 1?" (She wanted us to help her be prepared for any type of weather so she can pick her own clothes.)

  • Tell students that Sofia is visiting them again because she wants to find out what they have learned so far to help her be prepared for any type of weather. Tell them that Sofia understands they are still learning a lot about weather and will continue to learn over the next several lessons.
  • Referring to the Conversation Partners chart, invite students to partner up with their predetermined talking partner and sit facing one another. Make sure students know which partner is A and which is B.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What is a fact you have learned about one of the four components of weather: temperature, moisture, wind, or air pressure?" (Responses will vary, but may include: The temperature can go up and down; moisture is water in the air.)

  • As students talk, circulate and listen in. Take note of the ideas students are sharing and target a few students to share out with the whole group.
  • As students share out what they have learned so far about weather, foster a sense of community and provide options for physical action by telling students Sofia wants the class to give themselves a special applause. (Examples: alligator clap, clam clap, queen's clap) (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: As students interact, jot down some verb tense errors that are impeding communication. Briefly review the verb tense for the whole class. Encourage the group to identify the verb that communicates the message clearly and accurately. (Examples: "I heard some friends saying 'I learn about temperature.' Remember that if it happened earlier today or yesterday, you would say, 'I learned about temperature.'")

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