Unit 2 Assessment: Discussing Observable Patterns in the Sky | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA Grade 1 › ELA G1:M2 › ELA G1:M2:U2 ›

ELA G1:M2:U2:L12

Unit 2 Assessment: Discussing Observable Patterns in the Sky

In this Lesson

You are here:

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.
  • SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
  • SL.1.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation.
  • L.1.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.1.1f: Use frequently occurring adjectives.
  • L.1.1i: Use frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., during, beyond, toward).
  • L.1.1j: Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.
  • L.1.6: Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can build onto others' ideas while participating in a Science Talk about observable patterns in the sky. (SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, SL.1.4, SL.1.6)
  • I can record my observations from videos/images of the sky in my Sky Notebook. (W.1.8, L.1.1f, L.1.1i, L.1.1j, L.1.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Times A and B, circulate as students participate in the Science Talk protocol. Using the Speaking and Listening Checklist, document progress toward SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, SL.1.4, and SL.1.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Collect students' Sky notebooks completed during Work Times A and B to serve as a work sample demonstrating progress toward W.1.8, L.1.1f, L.1.1i, L.1.1j, and L.1.6.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Learner: Revisiting Unit 2 Poems (5 minutes)

B. Introducing the Unit 2 Assessment (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Unit 2 Assessment, Group 1: Science Talk (20 minutes)

B. Unit 2 Assessment, Group 2: Science Talk (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Integrity (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • Throughout the unit, students practiced participating in structured discussions to share information about a question (SL.1.1a, SL.1.4, SL.1.6) and have furthered a conversation by building and adding on to others' ideas (SL.1.1b). The Unit 2 Assessment gives students an opportunity to demonstrate progress toward these skills.
  • The unit assessment provides data of progress toward a number of speaking and listening standards (SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, SL.1.4, and SL.1.6), some of which were just introduced in this unit. Students are not expected to have obtained full mastery of these standards at this point in the school year. They will have additional opportunities to practice them in later modules. Students should experience the assessment as a routine lesson.
  • During Work Times A and B, as one small group of students works with the teacher to complete the unit assessment, the other small group engages in an independent task, completing a final entry in their Sky notebooks. Having students complete the unit assessment in small groups allows for focused observation of students' speaking and listening conversation skills, as required by the assessment.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students demonstrate their ability to share information, listen as others share information, and add on to another's ideas and thoughts--skills they have been practicing throughout this unit.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Look for opportunities to support students as they engage in the Science Talk protocol in Work Times A and B. Encourage them to consult their notes sheets as they share and prompt them to use a sentence frame to further the conversation. Direct students to the Science Talk Protocol anchor chart as necessary.
  • Based on the needs of your class, consider spreading out the Unit 2 Assessment over the course of two lessons to allow for smaller groups and more opportunities to observe and collect assessment data on all students.

Down the road:

  • Students will continue their study of the sun, moon, and stars in Unit 3. They will apply their knowledge of narrative texts from Unit 1 and their newfound understanding of science content from this unit to craft their own narrative about the sun and moon.

In Advance

  • Prepare for the Unit 2 Assessment in Work Times A and B:
    • Review the Unit 2 Assessment to familiarize yourself with what is expected of students.
    • Divide the class into two: Group 1 and Group 2. Within these two halves, determine small groups (three to four students) for the unit assessment in Work Times A and B. During Work Time A, small groups in Group 1 will work on the unit assessment while Group 2 completes an independent task. During Work Time B, small groups in Group 2 will work on the unit assessment while Group 1 completes an independent task. Consider strategically grouping students by their pre-selected pattern in the sky to ensure variety within small groups. Designate each student in the small group as A, B, C, or D.
    • Based on their selections in Lesson 11, attach students' What Makes Day and Night notes sheets, Patterns of the Moon notes sheets, or Patterns of the Stars notes sheets to clipboards. Keep clipboards ready near the whole group area to easily distribute during Work Times A and B.
  • Pre-distribute Sky notebooks, pencils, and crayons at student workspaces to ensure a smooth transition to the independent task during Work Times A and B.
  • Review the Science Talk protocol. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets, poems, 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 reciting the "What We See: The Sun, Moon, and Stars" and "Where Are They? The Sun, Moon, and Stars" poems in Lessons 2 and 9, consider replaying these recordings to remind students of the poems.
  • Video record students as they take part in Group A and Group B Science Talk protocol in Work Times A and B to watch with students to evaluate strengths and areas for improvement. Post it on a teacher webpage or on a portfolio app such as Seesaw for students to watch at home with families. Most devices (cellphones, 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.A.1, 1.I.C.12, 1.II.B.4, and 1.II.B.5

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by inviting them to complete assessment tasks similar to the classroom tasks completed in previous lessons, including a discussion using the Science Talk protocol.
  • ELLs may find the assessment challenging, because it is a big leap from the heavily scaffolded classroom interaction. ELLs will be asked not only to independently apply cognitive skills developed throughout the unit, but to independently apply new linguistic knowledge as well.
  • Make sure that ELLs understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supporting them with the skill being assessed. See additional support in the lesson.
  • After the assessment, ask students to discuss what was easiest and what was most difficult on the assessment, and why. In future lessons, focus on the language skills that will help students address these assessment challenges.
  • Consider inviting enthusiastic ELLs to practice the Unit 2 poems with gestures before class, and then lead the group in Opening A and Closing and Assessment B. This sort of activity can foster learning, trust, and equity

Universal Design for Learning

    • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In order to set themselves up for success for the assessment, students will need to generalize the skills they learned from the previous lessons in this unit. Before the assessment, activate prior knowledge by recalling the learning targets from the unit, and review the Science Talks and independent writing that they have already completed. Offer directions for the assessment both visually and verbally. Support comprehension by displaying a visual schedule of how the groups will switch tasks during the assessment.
    • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Before students begin the independent writing section of the assessment, vary methods for fine motor responses by offering options for drawing utensils (e.g., thick markers or colored pencils) and writing tools (e.g., fine-tipped markers, pencil grips, slant boards). Some students may forget their sentence ideas once they begin directing their efforts toward writing. Support strategy development by modeling how to draw lines for words you intend to write. This will help students recall their original ideas throughout the writing process.
    • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Some students may require support with limiting distractions during the assessment. For example, offer sound-canceling headphones or dividers between workspaces. Similarly, some students may require variations in time for the assessment. Consider breaking the assessment into more manageable parts and offering breaks at certain times. During the assessment, provide scaffolds that support executive function skills, self-regulation, and students' abilities to monitor progress before and after the assessment. For example, offer a visual checklist for completion of the assessment tasks.

        Vocabulary

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

        Review:

        • build onto others' ideas, adjective, preposition (L)

        Materials

        • "What We See: The Sun, Moon, and Stars" poem (from Lesson 2; one to display)
        • "Where Are They? The Sun, Moon, and Stars" poem (from Lesson 7; one to display)
        • Sun photograph 8 (one to display)
        • Moon photograph 8 (one to display)
        • Sky notebook (from Lesson 4; pages 13-16; one per student)
        • Pencils (one per student)
        • Crayons (class set; variety of colors per student)
        • Patterns of the Moon notes sheet (from Lesson 8; one per student)
        • Patterns of the Stars notes sheet (from Lesson 10; one per student)
        • What Makes Day and Night notes sheet (from Lesson 6; one per student)
        • Science Talk Protocol anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6)
        • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
        • Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 4)

        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.

        Download this Lesson’s Assessment

        Opening

        OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

        A. Engaging the Learner: Revisiting Unit 2 Poems (5 minutes)

        • Invite students to the whole group area.
        • Remind them that they have worked hard to learn two poems throughout the course of the unit. Tell them that today is an exciting day because they will recite both of the poems!
        • Direct students' attention to the "What We See: The Sun, Moon, and Stars" poem.
        • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

        "In this poem, we found a lot of adjectives. What are adjectives?" (words that describe a person, place, or thing)

        • Invite a student volunteer to lead the class in reciting the poem and doing any accompanying hand gestures and actions. Repeat as time allows with one or two more student volunteers.
        • Repeat this process with the "Where Are They? The Sun, Moon, and Stars" poem and the question:

        "In this poem, we found a lot of prepositions. What is a preposition?" (a word that describes the location of something)

        • Refocus whole group and offer students specific, positive feedback on learning the poems. (Example: "We all worked hard to learn a lot of new words in these two poems.")
        • Provide options for visual perception by offering individual copies of the poems for students who may need support with using far-point display as they follow along. (MMR)

        B. Introducing the Unit 2 Assessment (5 minutes)

        • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:
          • "I can build onto others' ideas while participating in a Science Talk about observable patterns in the sky."
        • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

        "What are the observable patterns in the sky that we have learned about?" (the pattern of light and dark; the pattern of the sun rising and setting; the pattern of the moon seeming to change shape; the pattern of only seeing stars at night)

        • Remind students:
          • They have gathered a lot of evidence throughout the unit to help them describe a number of patterns that can be observed in the sky.
          • They have participated in three Science Talks to discuss different questions related to these patterns in the sky.
        • Focus students on the phrase build onto others' ideas in the learning target.
        • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

        "What does it mean to build onto others' ideas? What are some ways you can do that while participating in the Science Talk protocol?" (adding on to what someone else said; add new information to an idea that someone else shared; use sentence frames to share your thinking and how it relates to what others have already said)

        • Share with students that during today's lesson, they will have a chance to participate in a Science Talk to discuss the Unit 2 guiding question. Review the guiding question by reading it aloud:
          • "What patterns can we observe in the sky?"
        • Tell students that half the class will participate in the Science Talk protocol while the other half completes another entry in their Sky notebooks. Then they will switch so that everyone completes both activities.
        • As students share patterns learned in previous lessons, scaffold recall and engagement with prompts or sentence frames to encourage participation. (MMAE, MME)

        Work Time

        Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

        A. Unit 2 Assessment, Group 1: Science Talk (20 minutes)

        • Review the assessment directions and explain where each group will work and what they will do.
        • Invite students in Group 2 to return to their workspaces:
          • Display sun photograph 8 and moon photograph 8 and point out that the other materials they need to complete their individual task are already at their workspaces:
            • Sky notebook
            • Pencils
            • Crayons
          • Direct students in Group 2 to open to page 13 in their Sky notebook.
          • Invite students in Group 2 to observe the photographs closely before using the pencils and crayons to complete pages 13-16 in their Sky notebook.
        • Move students in Group 1 into pre-determined small groups and invite them to label themselves A, B, C, and D, and move seats in the whole group area into small circles.
          • Distribute Patterns of the Moon notes sheets, Patterns of the Stars notes sheets, and What Makes Day and Night notes sheets accordingly.
          • Tell students in Group 1 that they are going to use the Science Talk protocol to discuss the Unit 2 guiding question. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 10, and review as necessary using the Science Talk Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
          • Post and review sentences frames as necessary:
            • "I think he/she means __________."
            • "I'd like to add ________."
            • "This makes me think __________ because _________."
          • Invite group member A to begin the Science Talk protocol:

        "What patterns can we observe in the sky?"

          • Circulate as students discuss. Observe students sharing information about their selected pattern in the sky, using sentence frames to add on to the discussion, and using their notes as a resource as they share and discuss. Use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to make note of observations and progress toward SL.1.1a, SL.1.1b, SL.1.4, and SL.1.6.
          • Allow students to complete the Science Talk protocol without teacher involvement. Only provide reminders about directions. 
          • While Group 1 is completing the Unit 2 Assessment, redirect and refocus Group 2 on their independent task as necessary. When 2 minutes remain, invite Group 2 to clean up and return their Sky notebooks, pencils, and crayons to their places.
          • Give Group 1 students specific, positive feedback on engaging in meaningful discussions. (Example: "I saw many of you consult your notes sheet during your discussions to make sure you were sharing accurate information with your classmates.")
        • Refocus whole group and assist Group 2 in transitioning to the whole group area and Group 1 in transitioning back to their seats.
        • Before students begin the Unit 2 Assessment, emphasize process and effort by discussing the purpose of assessments. (Example: "What we are doing today is similar to the Science Talk and Sky notebook writing from previous lessons, but this is called an assessment. The purpose of an assessment is to help me know what you are learning and how well I'm teaching you. Give your best effort!") (MME)
        • For ELLs: Support students in processing the language in the learning target by inviting them to restate it in their own words. Ask students to recall an example of how they achieved the learning target throughout the unit. (Example: I can say more about my friend's idea when we talk about patterns in the sky.)

        B. Unit 2 Assessment, Group 2: Science Talk (20 minutes)

        • Once students are settled, repeat the process from Work Time A with each group.
        • To support personal coping and self-regulation skills, model appropriate ways to manage frustration and/or anxiety before students begin their independent writing (e.g., take a few deep breaths, pause to stretch, or close your eyes and silently count to 10). (MME)
        • For ELLs: Ensure that ELLs clearly understand all assessment directions. Rephrase directions for them. Monitor during the assessment to see that students are completing the assessment correctly. Stop those who are on the wrong track and make sure they understand the directions.

        Closing & Assessments

        ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

        A. Reflecting on Integrity (10 minutes)

        • Invite all students back to the whole group meeting area and refocus students whole group.
        • Remind them that, in addition to their work answering the Unit 2 guiding question, they also have been focusing on demonstrating integrity.
        • Direct students' attention to the Working to Become Ethical People anchor chart. Tell students they have had many opportunities to learn about and show integrity throughout the unit. Tell them that now they will get a chance to think about how they showed integrity.
        • Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

        "How have you shown integrity throughout this unit?" (Responses will vary, but may include: I stayed on task during our Science Talk protocols; I shared information about the topic even if the teacher wasn't listen to our conversation.)

        • As students talk, circulate and listen in. Take note of the ideas they are sharing and identify a few students to share out with the whole group.
        • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

        "How have you seen a classmate show integrity during this unit?" (Responses will vary.)

        • Tell students that you have seen them show integrity in many ways and that they will continue to work on this habit in the next unit.
        • Tell students that over the next few weeks they will continue learning about the sun, moon, and stars and will read more texts and have more chances to write, draw, and discuss this topic. With excitement, share that they will even get to write an original narrative about the sun.
        • Give students specific, positive feedback on all of their hard work during this unit, including reading and studying a number of texts, learning about different patterns that can be observed in the sky, and engaging in rich discussions with their classmates!
        • When circulating and listening in, scaffold partner conversations as needed. Some students may benefit from explicit prompting or a sentence frame. (Example: "I showed integrity during the Science Talk when I ____.") (MMAE)
        • For ELLs: Provide options for responding to the prompt by offering different sentence frames. (Examples: "One way I showed integrity was ______." "I showed integrity by _____." "It was hard to do the right thing because ______. But I did the right thing because ______.")

        Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

        Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

        Sign Up

        Help us improve our curriculum.

        Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

        Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

        Leave feedback