ELA G1:M1:U2:L8

Focused Read-aloud, Session 2: What Work Does Initiative Help the Characters Do?

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

RL.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
RL.1.3: Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
RL.1.4: Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
RL.1.7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.
W.1.2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure.

Daily Learning Targets

I can identify a character's feelings using evidence from the illustrations and the text. (RL.1.1, RL.1.4)
I can describe an event by looking closely at the illustrations. (RL.1.3, RL.1.7)

Ongoing Assessment

Use the Reading Literature Checklist (RL.1.1, RL.1.3, and RL.1.7) to track students' progress toward both standards (see Assessment Overview and Resources for Module 1).
During Work Time B, students discuss a text-based question. Prompt students still struggling with speaking and listening behaviors to use the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart displayed in the room.
Work Time B requires students to answer a question using evidence from the text. Support students by offering picture support and reminding them to return to the text for answers. This skill will be necessary for students to complete the task independently in the unit assessment.

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Noticing and Wondering: The Little Red Pen, Pages 1-22 (10 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Focused Read-aloud Session 2: The Little Red Pen, Pages 23-28 (25 minutes) B. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: Doing Work with Habits of Character (10 minutes) C. Shared Writing: What Work Does Initiative Help the Characters Do? (10 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Sit, Kneel, Stand: Assessing Learning Targets (5 minutes)	Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: In Work Time A, students complete another focused read-aloud of The Little Red Pen. Over the next couple of lessons, students complete focused read-alouds, answering text-dependent questions about the text after hearing it read aloud. These questions are found directly in the body of the lesson; they have a skill-based focus for reading and include fewer questions per lesson than a close-read-aloud. As in Lesson 7, students are assessed on their progress toward RL.1.1 and RL.1.3 during the focused read-aloud using the Unit 2 Assessment RL.1.1/RL.1.3 Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources for Module 1). During this lesson, students practice finding words that show a feeling by listening to a section of The Little Red Pen read aloud. Students work with partners to identify a face and a word that suggests the feeling of the character (RL.1.3). In Work Time C, students complete a shared writing response to their reading. This work time provides direct writing instruction, in a scaffolded way, for W.1.2: "Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure." Students are provided the opening and closing statements in order to focus on sentences that provide facts and information on the topic as a first step toward mastery of W.1.2. The pages of The Little Red Pen are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Let's get to work" should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly. How this lesson builds on previous work: In Lessons 1-6, students learned about habits of character. As in Lesson 7, in this lesson, students use that knowledge to identify habits of character in The Little Red Pen, this time focused on pages 23-28, in which the characters take action to rescue the Little Red Pen fromthe pit. Focus students' attention on how the Highlighter uses initiative to move the characters into action. This lesson continues providing opportunities for students to use their speaking and listening behaviors while discussing habits of character in the book. Continue to use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation. Areas in which students may need additional support: In Work Time A, students work with partners to discuss their answers and may need help using the behaviors learned from the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart. Support students with using the nonverbal signals the class came up with for each behavior, or model showing the behavior with a partner. In Work Time B, students discuss the text-based prompt that will eventually become a writing task. Help students ground their answers in the text by offering picture supports and guiding their discussions back to the text. Down the road: This is the second of four lessons with opportunities to collect data on students' progress toward RL.1.1 and RL.1.3 during the focused read-alouds. In Lessons 8-10, students will repeat the same lesson steps, moving toward more independence.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Noticing and Wondering: The Little Red Pen, Pages 1-22 (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Focused Read-aloud Session 2: The Little Red Pen, Pages 23-28 (25 minutes)

B. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: Doing Work with Habits of Character (10 minutes)

C. Shared Writing: What Work Does Initiative Help the Characters Do? (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Sit, Kneel, Stand: Assessing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

In Work Time A, students complete another focused read-aloud of The Little Red Pen. Over the next couple of lessons, students complete focused read-alouds, answering text-dependent questions about the text after hearing it read aloud. These questions are found directly in the body of the lesson; they have a skill-based focus for reading and include fewer questions per lesson than a close-read-aloud.
As in Lesson 7, students are assessed on their progress toward RL.1.1 and RL.1.3 during the focused read-aloud using the Unit 2 Assessment RL.1.1/RL.1.3 Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources for Module 1).
During this lesson, students practice finding words that show a feeling by listening to a section of The Little Red Pen read aloud. Students work with partners to identify a face and a word that suggests the feeling of the character (RL.1.3).
In Work Time C, students complete a shared writing response to their reading. This work time provides direct writing instruction, in a scaffolded way, for W.1.2: "Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense of closure." Students are provided the opening and closing statements in order to focus on sentences that provide facts and information on the topic as a first step toward mastery of W.1.2.
The pages of The Little Red Pen are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Let's get to work" should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

In Lessons 1-6, students learned about habits of character. As in Lesson 7, in this lesson, students use that knowledge to identify habits of character in The Little Red Pen, this time focused on pages 23-28, in which the characters take action to rescue the Little Red Pen fromthe pit. Focus students' attention on how the Highlighter uses initiative to move the characters into action.
This lesson continues providing opportunities for students to use their speaking and listening behaviors while discussing habits of character in the book.
Continue to use Goal 1 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

In Work Time A, students work with partners to discuss their answers and may need help using the behaviors learned from the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart. Support students with using the nonverbal signals the class came up with for each behavior, or model showing the behavior with a partner.
In Work Time B, students discuss the text-based prompt that will eventually become a writing task. Help students ground their answers in the text by offering picture supports and guiding their discussions back to the text.

Down the road:

This is the second of four lessons with opportunities to collect data on students' progress toward RL.1.1 and RL.1.3 during the focused read-alouds.
In Lessons 8-10, students will repeat the same lesson steps, moving toward more independence.

In Advance

Set up a document camera to read The Little Red Pen and to show other documents throughout the lesson (optional).
Consider placing sticky notes throughout The Little Red Pen to mark stopping points for questions.
Prepare materials for students to work on the floor to complete their Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheets during Work Time A (e.g., pencils, clipboards, papers).
Determine partnerships for Work Time A.
Review the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
Post: Learning targets, "Learning Target" song, Words That Show Feelings anchor chart, Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart, Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart, and "Helping" song.

Tech and Multimedia

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

Work Time A: If you recorded students singing the "Learning Target" song in Lesson 2, play this recording for them to join in with.
Work Time B: If you recorded students participating in the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol in Lesson 7, play this video for them to remind them of what to do.
Work Time C: Complete The Little Red Pen Initiative: Student Response Sheet using word processing software, for example a Google Doc.
Closing and Assessment A: Record the whole group singing the "Helping" song and post it on a teacher webpage or on a portfolio app like Seesaw for students to listen to at home with parents. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 1.I.B.6-8 and 1.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through a shared writing experience, through visual support for vocabulary, and through the opportunity to use oral language in a structured way.
ELLs may find it difficult to make the transition to writing about the text from the spoken, conversational ways in which they have been analyzing it. Inform students in the beginning of the lesson that they will be writing facts about the character Highlighter. Remind students of the definition of facts. While reading, think aloud and ask about how the characters are showing initiative.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

During the Mini Language Dive, invite intermediate and advanced proficiency students to create the first clause of an if/then sentence. Challenge students who need heavier support to finish the sentences. (Example: "If I eat cake ... then I'll be happy ... then I'll have a stomach ache.")

For heavier support:

Preview the vocabulary related to emotions that will be considered during the focused read-aloud (scowled, angry, scared). Invite students to listen for these important words while reading.
During Work Time C, distribute a partially filled-in copy of the The Little Red Pen Initiative: Student Response Sheet. This will provide students with prompting for their thinking, while relieving the volume of writing required.

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol, students are asked to make connections between the term initiative and a character (Highlighter) in The Little Red Pen. To help activate background knowledge regarding the habits of character, guide students to use environmental resources (examples: Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, Tools and Work Word Wall).
Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): During the Opening, students are asked to reflect on what happened in The Little Red Pen during the previous lesson. As students share observations and questions with a partner, vary methods for generating response by prompting individual students with sentence starters.
Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): In response to the focused read-aloud, students work in pairs on the Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheets. Provide differentiated mentors by pairing students whose reading skills are still developing (Student A) with students with stronger reading skills (Student B). Differentiate degree of complexity by assigning Student A the task of circling the facial expression and Student B the task of circling the feeling word.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

New:

evidence, identify
scowled, whispered (T)

Review:

describe (L)

Materials

The Little Red Pen (book; one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
Document camera (optional)
"Learning Target" song (from Lesson 2; one to display)
Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheet (one per pair)
Session 2, Feeling Words: Sample Student Response Sheet (answers, for teacher reference)
Materials for response sheets (various; see Teaching Notes)
Words That Show Feelings anchor chart (begun in Lesson 7; added to in Work Time A; see supporting materials)
Unit 2 Assessment RL.1.1/RL.1.3 Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources for Module 1)
Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart (begun in Unit 1)
Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart (begun in Lesson 7)
The Little Red Pen Initiative: Student Response Sheet (one to display)
The Little Red Pen Initiative: Sample Student Response Sheet (answers, for teacher reference)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New 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

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Noticing and Wondering: The Little Red Pen, Pages 1-22 (10 minutes) Gather students together whole group and ask them to sit next to a partner. Tell them they will warm up their brains by remembering what happened in The Little Red Pen. Invite students to silently think about the story as you display and slowly turn through the pictures on pages 1-22 using a document camera. Invite students to turn and talk to their partner: "What did you notice about the pages we read in the story yesterday?" (The characters had work to do; the characters were not working together.) Invite students to turn and talk to their partner: "What are you wondering about the story or the characters?" (Responses will vary.) Guide students to wonder about how the work will get done or how characters will use habits of character.	For ELLs: As students share their observations and questions with a partner, vary methods for generating response by prompting individual students with sentence starters. Examples: "When the Little Red Pen asked the other tools for help, I noticed ______." "Now that the Little Red Pen rolled off the edge of the desk, I wonder ______." (MMAE)

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Noticing and Wondering: The Little Red Pen, Pages 1-22 (10 minutes)

Gather students together whole group and ask them to sit next to a partner.
Tell them they will warm up their brains by remembering what happened in The Little Red Pen. Invite students to silently think about the story as you display and slowly turn through the pictures on pages 1-22 using a document camera.
Invite students to turn and talk to their partner:

"What did you notice about the pages we read in the story yesterday?" (The characters had work to do; the characters were not working together.)

Invite students to turn and talk to their partner:

"What are you wondering about the story or the characters?" (Responses will vary.)

Guide students to wonder about how the work will get done or how characters will use habits of character.

For ELLs: As students share their observations and questions with a partner, vary methods for generating response by prompting individual students with sentence starters. Examples:

"When the Little Red Pen asked the other tools for help, I noticed ______."
"Now that the Little Red Pen rolled off the edge of the desk, I wonder ______." (MMAE)

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Focused Read-aloud Session 2: The Little Red Pen, Pages 23-28 (25 minutes) Direct students' attention to the posted "Learning Target" song, and invite them to sing the song with you. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets, and read the first one aloud: "I can identify a character's feelings using evidence from the illustrations and the text." Encourage students to whisper an important word from the learning target into their hand. (identify, feelings, evidence) Circle these words on the posted learning target. Review as necessary. Invite students to show a motion for identify. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets, and read the second one aloud: "I can describe an event by looking closely at the illustrations." Remind students that identifying and describing are big jobs for students to do while the teacher reads the story. Have students pretend to open their eyes and ears to prepare to learn. While still displaying The Little Red Pen, begin reading on page 24, starting with the sentence "They rushed to the edge of the desk." Stop after "Oh no, whispered Eraser" on page 24. Ask: "What are some expressions that mean the same thing as oh no! in our home languages?" (o net! in Russian) Call on student volunteers to share. Ask other students to choose one translation to quietly repeat. Invite students to say their chosen translation out loud when you give the signal. Choral repeat the translations and the word in English. Invite self- and peer-correction of the pronunciation of the translations and the English. Turn back to page 24 and reread the phrase with "oh no." Tell students that there is a word in this sentence that shows you how Eraser is feeling. Share with students that they will work with a partner to identify the feeling and the word that shows the feeling. Move students into pre-determined partnerships. Distribute the Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheets and the materials for response sheets to each pair. Reread the sentence on page 24, and ask students to circle the face that shows how Eraser is feeling on their Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheets. Call on a pair that circled a scared expression to share with the class the reason they circled that face. Refer to Session 2, Feeling Words: Sample Student Response Sheet (answers, for teacher reference) as necessary. Encourage students to point to each word in the sentence on their response sheet as you reread it aloud. Invite pairs to circle the word that shows the feeling scared. Call on a pair that circled the word whispered to share with the class. Focus students' attention on the Words That Show Feelings anchor chart. Write the word whispered next to the scared face. While still displaying the text, continue reading and stop after the sentence "'Can't have 'em,' Box scowled." Tell students that there is a word in this sentence that shows you how Box is feeling. Invite students to make an expression that shows how Box is feeling. Call on one or two students making an angry expression to share out why they chose that expression. If no students are showing an angry expression, tell students to watch your face as you reread the sentence with a lot of emotion. Focus students back on their Session 2, Feeling Words: Student Response Sheets. Reread the sentence and ask students to circle the face that shows how the Box is feeling. Encourage students to point to each word in the sentence on their response sheet as you reread it aloud. Invite pairs to circle the word that shows the feeling angry. Call on a pair that circled the word scowled to share with the class. Emphasize that scowled means to frown in an angry way. Focus students' attention on the Words That Show Feelings anchor chart. Write the word scowled next to the angry face. Collect students' response sheets and materials. Draw students' attention back to the text and continue reading aloud pages 24-26. Stop reading after page 26. Invite students to turn and talk: "What was the Highlighter's idea?" (Highlighter wanted to make a chain of clips to pull the pen out of the trash.) Circulate as students share to collect information on the Unit 2 Assessment RL1.1/RL.1.3 Checklist. Refocus students whole group. Draw students' attention back to the text and continuing reading aloud pages 27-28. Stop reading after the sentence "Enough! Let's pull! One, two, three!" on page 28. Invite students to turn and talk: "Describe the Highlighter or the Stapler to your partner. How are those character different?" (Highlighter is using initiative to think of new ideas to get things done. Stapler is grouchy and does not like to do work or think of new ideas.) Circulate as students share to collect information on the Unit 2 Assessment RL.1.1/RL1.3 Checklist. If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by saying more: "Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.) Give students specific positive feedback on finding evidence from the text (Example: "I noticed Mario used an example from the text to talk about Highlighter.") Invite students to high-five their partner before finishing up.	As you determine pairs for Work Time A, provide differentiated mentors. You can do this by pairing students whose reading skills are still developing (Student A) with students with stronger reading skills (Student B). Differentiate the degree of complexity by assigning Student A the task of circling the facial expression and Student B the task of circling the feeling word. (MMAE, MME) For ELLs: To reinforce the learning target, prompt students to sing each line of the "Learning Target" song with a different feeling. (Example: Point to the emoticon for excited. Say: "Let's sing this next line in an excited way!") For ELLs: Buy or ask for large paint chips from a local hardware or paint store, or print them online. Write the words scowled, frowned, and pouted, each on a different shade of paint chip. Place them on the wall and discuss the shades of meaning in relation to the characters' feelings. For ELLs: To make the tools represented in the text more concrete, gather real examples of the tools depicted in the book. Integrate them into the lesson by inviting students, among thembeginning proficiency ELLs, to hold different tools and act out the emotions of the respective characters in the text. For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about this sentence from the text: "If the papers aren't graded, the students won't learn." Examples: "What does the Pencil mean by the papers?" (student work) "What do teachers do when they grade student work?" (Tell the students if their answers are right or wrong.) "Why won't the students learn?" (They won?t know if their answers are right or wrong.) Point to the word if. Say: "When you see if, you know the sentence is about something that might happen, or might not happen. So will the papers be graded?" (Maybe and maybe not. We don't know.) Write the sentence frame "If_____, then____." on the board. Say: "When we say If ...then, we talk about a cause and effect of what might happen. For example, 'If it rains when I walk to school, then I will get wet. If I eat healthy food, I will grow up to be strong.'" Ask: "Can you finish this sentence for me? 'If I don't do my homework, then ...'" (Responses will vary.) Invite students to think of their own if ... then sentences in pairs. "So what will happen if the tools don't grade the papers?" (The students won't learn.) "Why are the tools so excited and nervous?" (They want to grade the papers so the students can learn.)
B. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face: Doing Work with Habits of Character (10 minutes) Draw students' attention to the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: "What is a discussion norm you should follow while talking?" (Responses will vary.) Focus the class on any behavior in particular that has not been practiced. Tell students they are going to talk about how work is getting done in The Little Red Pen using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 7. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Direct students' attention to the posted Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart and ask for two volunteers to demonstrate each step as you read it aloud. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: "How will you calmly find your partner?" (I will look around before moving; I will walk slowly.) Tell students they are going to participate in three rounds of the protocol. Begin the protocol and prompt students with one of the following questions during each of the three rounds: "How did the Highlighter show initiative?" (The Highlighter thought of new ideas.) "What work is the Highlighter doing with initiative?" (The Highlighter is trying to save the Little Red Pen from the trash so that the papers will be graded.) "How does initiative help you do work?" (I can ask questions when I am stuck; I can try out new ideas.) Encourage students to give a kind handshake to their last partner before returning to their workspace.	To help learners anticipate and prepare for sharing their thinking with a partner during the Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face protocol, provide all students with index cards that designate whether they are partner A or B. Each time students turn face-to-face, make it clear which partner (A or B) will share first. (MME) As students share responses to the questions during the protocol, circulate among students and listen. To support individual students to make connections between the term initiative and the Highlighter?s character in The Little Red Pen, guide students to use environmental resources (examples: Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, Tools and Work Word Wall). (MMR) For ELLs: To boost confidence and to provide examples of effective communication, comment on an individual student who has modeled using discussion norms successfully. (Example: "Giovanni was doing such an excellent job listening!")
C. Shared Writing: What Work Does Initiative Help the Characters Do? (10 minutes) Using the document camera, display The Little Red Pen Initiative: Student Response Sheet. Thank students for identifying a habit of character in the book, and tell them you will be using their ideas to help you write about initiative. Point to the sentences on the response sheet. Explain that writers need to include certain details in their writing to be clear, like: An introduction sentence Some sentences about the facts in the text A closing sentence Show students that the introduction sentence and the closing sentence are already written this time so that we can just write some facts about the text. Based on discussions in Work Time B, call on one or two students to share how Highlighter used initiative. If a student has not suggested it, say: "Highlighter showed initiative by thinking of a way to save Little Red Pen." Ask for students' help to spell each word as you say it and write the sentence on the lines. Based on discussions in Work Time B, call on one or two students to share about the work Highlighter was able to do by using initiative. If a student has not suggested it, say: "Initiative helped get Little Red Pen out of the trash." Ask for students' help to spell each word as you say it and write the sentence on the lines. Thank students for their help and hard work, and tell them they will get a chance to write on their own tomorrow.	Before you write, provide students perceptual access to the text and The Little Red Pen Initiative: Student Response Sheet by increasing the size of this paper with a document camera or re-creating a larger version on chart paper. (MMR) For ELLs: Ask probing questions and provide wait time to allow students to process the questions and think of responses. (Example: "Initiative is when you decide to do something and then do it. What did Highlighter decide to do? Did he do it? How can we say that in a sentence?") For ELLs: When writing the facts sentences, think aloud spelling the words by sounding them out and using resources in the room. This will model the cognitive process that students may use to write the sentences. For ELLs: Check for comprehension by reading the paragraph aloud after completing it. Ask students to identify the facts about the Highlighter.

Closing & Assessments

Closing
A. Sit, Kneel, Stand Protocol: Assessing Learning Targets (5 minutes) Tell students they are going to use the Sit, Kneel, Stand protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol and review as necessary using the Sit, Kneel, Stand anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Lead students through the protocol by rereading each learning target for them to respond. Tell students that tomorrow, they will hear more about the characters in The Little Red Pen.

Closing

A. Sit, Kneel, Stand Protocol: Assessing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

Tell students they are going to use the Sit, Kneel, Stand protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol and review as necessary using the Sit, Kneel, Stand anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
Lead students through the protocol by rereading each learning target for them to respond.
Tell students that tomorrow, they will hear more about the characters in The Little Red Pen.

EL Education Curriculum