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ELA G1:M1:U1

Learning to Ask and Answer Questions: Getting to Know the Tools Around Us

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 overview

Lesson 1Speaking and Listening: Getting to Know our Mission
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Asking and Answering Questions: Mission Letter #1 (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Introducing Learning Targets: "The Magic Bow" (10 minutes)

B. Structured Discussion: Noticing and Wondering about Pictures (15 minutes)

C. Independent Writing: Showing What I Know about Tools (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Sharing Our Writing (5 minutes)

B. Building Vocabulary: "Tools" Song (5 minutes)  
  • I can participate in conversations with my classmates. (SL.1.1)
  • I can show what I know about tools through drawing and writing. (W.1.2)
  • During the Closing, circulate and listen for what students already know about tools.
  • Collect students' What Do You Know about Tools? response sheet from Work Time B to gather baseline assessment information about what students already know about tools as well as evidence on W.1.2 to help inform instruction in subsequent lessons.
  • Think-Pair-Share

Lesson 2Building Background Knowledge: What Do Tools Help to Do?, Part I
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1.Opening

A. Establishing Discussion Norms: Looking at the Speaker (5 minutes)

B. Noticing and Wondering: Tools for Challenge #1 (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Developing Language: Play and Exploration with Cooking Tools (20 minutes)

B. Recording Our Thinking: Draw and Label the Tool That Was Best for the Job (10 minutes)

C. Reading Aloud: A Chef’s Tools (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)
  • I can examine tools through close observation and drawing. (W.1.8)
  • I can ask and answer questions about tools and how they are used. (RI.1.1, SL.1.1) 
  • During Work Time A, circulate and observe students' progress with the classroom discussion norms. Reinforce the classroom discussion norm of listening to the speaker, taught in Lesson 1.
  • During Work Time A, notice students' progress with answering questions. Encourage students to answer questions about tools. If necessary, provide sentence stems to answer questions in complete sentences. Model answering questions using complete sentences by repeating student answers.
  • During Work Time B, circulate and observe students individually drawing and labeling a tool.
  • At the end of Work Time B, collect the Tools Challenge #1 response sheet. Notice each student's drawing of the tool to be sure it captures accurate details. Note each student's encoding skills as represented in the label of the tool. 
  • Think-Pair-Share

Lesson 3Building Background Knowledge: What Do Tools Help to Do?, Part II
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Noticing and Wondering: Tools for Challenge #2 (5 minutes)

B. Working with Vocabulary: Tools and Work Word Wall (10 minutes) 

2. Work Time

A. Developing Language: Play and Exploration with Math Tools (15 minutes)

B. Recording Our Thinking: Draw and Label the Tool That Was Best for the Job (10 minutes)

C. Reading Aloud: My Math Toolbox (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes) 
  • I can examine tools through close observation and drawing. (W.1.8)
  • I can ask and answer questions about tools and how they are used. (RI.1.1, SL.1.1) 
  • During Work Time A, circulate and observe the classroom discussion norms of listening to and looking at the speaker. Reinforce and support students as needed.
  • During Work Time A, notice students' progress with answering questions about tools. Encourage students to answer questions about tools. If necessary, provide sentence stems to answer questions in complete sentences. Model answering questions using complete sentences by repeating student answers.
  • During Work Time B, circulate and observe students individually drawing and labeling a tool.
  • At the end of Work Time B, collect the Tools Challenge #2 response sheet. Notice each student's drawing of the tool to be sure it captures accurate details. Note each student's encoding skills as represented in the label of the tool. 
  • Think-Pair-Share

Lesson 4Building Background Knowledge: What Do Tools Help to Do?, Part III
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Noticing and Wondering: Tools for Challenge #3 (5 minutes) B.Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 

2. Work Time

A. Developing Language: Play and Exploration with Science Tools (15 minutes

B. Recording Our Thinking: Draw and Label the Tool That Was Best for the Job (10 minutes)

C. Reading Aloud: I Use Science Tools (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

B. Synthesizing Our Learning: What Makes a Tool a Tool? (10 minutes)
  • I can examine tools through close observation and drawing. (W.1.8)
  • I can ask and answer questions about tools and how they are used. (RI.1.1, SL.1.1) 
  • During Work Time A, circulate and observe students' progress with the classroom discussion norms. Reinforce the classroom discussion norm of listening to the speaker, taught in Lesson 1.
  • During Work Time A, notice students' progress with answering questions. Encourage students to answer questions about tools. If necessary, provide sentence stems to answer questions in complete sentences. Model answering questions using complete sentences by repeating student answers.
  • During Work Time B, circulate and observe students individually drawing and labeling a tool.
  • At the end of Work Time B, collect the Tools Challenge #3 response sheets. Notice each student's drawing of the tool to be sure it captures accurate details. Note each student's encoding skills as represented in the label of the tool. 
  • Think-Pair-Share

Lesson 5Asking and Answering: Why Do We Need Tools?
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Learner: Mission Letter #2 (15 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Asking Questions: Using Photographs (15 minutes)

B. Reading Aloud: Tools (10 minutes)

C. Establishing Discussion Norms: Staying on Topic (5 minutes)

3. Closing 

A. Answering Questions: Using the Text (10 minutes)

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes) 
  • I can ask questions about key ideas in a photograph. (RI.1.1, SL.1.1)
  • I can answer questions about key ideas using the text from Tools. (RI.1.1, RI.1.7, SL.1.1)
  • During students' Think-Pair-Ask in Work Time A, observe as they use the photograph to create their questions. Pay particular attention to students who continue to struggle while using the question words on the Tools and Work Word Wall as a resource.
  • During the Closing, note which discussion norms students self-identify as areas of growth. Use this information to encourage students as you begin to collect data.
  • Think-Pair-Share

Lesson 6Speaking and Listening: Why Do We Need Tools?
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Working with Vocabulary: Tools and Work Word Wall (10 minutes) 

2. Work Time

A. Speaking and Listening: Sorting Photographs (15 minutes)

B. Model Writing: What Job Does the Tool Help to Do? (5 minutes)

C. Independent Writing: What Job Does the Tool Help to Do? (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Structured Discussion: Why Do We Need Tools? (10 minutes)

B. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)
  • I can sort tools into categories. (L.1.5a, L.1.5b)
  • I can ask and answer questions about key ideas using the photographs and text in a book. (RI.1.1, RI.1.7, SL.1.1)

  • Use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to track students' progress toward SL.1.1a (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

  • During Work Time A, students ask each other questions while sorting pictures. Prompt students still struggling to form a question to use the question words on the Tools and Work Word Wall displayed in the room. 
  • Sorting

Lesson 7Writing to Show Understanding: Why Do We Need Tools?
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening 

A. Working with Vocabulary: Tools and Work Word Wall (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Speaking and Listening: Sorting Photographs (10 minutes)

B. Shared Writing: What Job Does the Tool Help to Do? (15 minutes)

C. Independent Writing: What Job Does the Tool Help to Do? (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Answering Questions: Using the Text (10 minutes)

B. Song and Movement (5 minutes) 
  • I can sort tools into categories. (L.1.5a, L.1.5b)
  • I can ask and answer questions about key ideas using the photographs and text in a book. (RI.1.1, RI.1.7, SL.1.1)
  • Use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to track students' progress toward SL.1.1a (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During Work Time A, students ask each other questions while sorting pictures. Prompt students still struggling to form a question to use the question words on the Tools and Work Word Wall.
  • During Work Time C, circulate and look for students to show basic phonemic awareness. Note any trend that may need to be re-taught during the K-2 Reading Foundations Skills Block. 
  • Sorting

Lesson 8Unit 1 Assessment: Focused Read-Aloud and Writing about Tools
Agenda Daily Learning Targets Ongoing Assessment Anchor Charts & Protocols

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

B. Working with Vocabulary: Tools and Work Word Wall (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Unit 1 Assessment, Part 1: Focused Read-aloud and Photograph Sort: Tools, Pages 18–27 (20 minutes)

B. Unit 1 Assessment, Part 2: Independent Writing: "What Job Does This Tool Help to Do?" (20 minutes)

3. Closing

A. Structured Discussion: Why Do We Need Tools? (5 minutes)

B. Song and Movement (5 minutes)
  • I can ask and answer questions about key ideas using photographs and text. (RI.1.1, RI.1.7, SL.1.1)
  • I can sort tools into categories. (L.1.5a, L.1.5b) 
  • During student discussions in Work Times A and B, track students' progress toward SL.1.1 using the Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Students will revisit the written portion of this assessment throughout Units 2 and 3. Observe and support students as needed during their writing during this assessment by prompting them to use the text and classroom resources.
  • Sorting
  • Think-Pair-Share

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