Unit 1 Assessment: Birds (Scholastic Discover More), Pages 20–21 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M3:U1:L8

Unit 1 Assessment: Birds (Scholastic Discover More), Pages 20–21

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.1.2: Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • RI.1.3: Describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
  • RI.1.4: Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
  • RI.1.5: Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.
  • RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
  • W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
  • L.1.1f: Use frequently occurring adjectives.
  • L.1.5d: Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare, glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity (e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or by acting out the meanings.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can find information and answer questions about a new kind of bird in the text Birds (Scholastic Discover More). (RI.1.2, RI.1.3, RI.1.4, RI.1.5, RI.1.7, W.1.8, SL.1.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Opening, use the Language Checklist to gather data on students' progress toward L.1.1f and L.1.5d (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Use the reflection on learning in the Closing to assess students' internalization of reading skills and to adjust future lessons.

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Poem and Movement: "Wandering through the Zoo" Poem (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Engaging the Researcher: Just Ducks, Page 10 (5 minutes)

B. Reading Aloud to Research Birds of Prey: Birds (Scholastic Discover More), Pages 20-21 (15 minutes)

C. Unit 1 Assessment: Birds (Scholastic Discover More), Pages 20-21 (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In the Opening, students follow the same routine from Lesson 7 to add adjectives to the poem. In this lesson, they complete this task in pairs rather than as a whole group (L.1.1f, L.1.5d). Note: Only part of L.1.5d is addressed in this lesson. It is revisited in Unit 2 for a more formal assessment.
  • Work Times A and B contain repeated routines from Lesson 3-7. Refer to those lessons for more detail, as necessary. Work Time C changes slightly from previous lessons in order to assess students individually.
  • In Work Time C, students complete the Unit 1 Assessment by listening to selected pages read aloud from the text, Birds (Scholastic Discover More) and answering several short response questions and selected response questions about the text and illustrations (RI.1.1, 1.2, RI.1.3, RI.1.4, RI.1.5, RI.1.7 and RI.1.9).

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students continue to apply their understanding of adjectives with the poem "Wandering through the Zoo."

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • In the Opening, students write adjectives in pairs on white boards. To support students' writing, encourage them to listen to each sound in the word and write the letters to match the sounds if they are having trouble spelling the adjective they come up with.
  • In Work Time C, students individually take the Unit 1 Assessment. To support students during the assessment, circulate to reread questions as necessary. Help students navigate the questions and invite students to answer orally before writing an answer.

Down the road:

  • Students work with partners to add adjectives to "Wandering through the Zoo." In the next lesson, students will demonstrate their understanding of similar adjectives with different strengths by filling in a new stanza of the poem on their own. This will provide data on their understanding around adjectives and shades of meaning.
  • In Lesson 10, students will use what they've learned from Birds to participate in a Science Talk to show their learning about what makes a bird a bird.

In Advance

  • Strategically pair students for the Opening, with at least one strong reader per pair.
  • Pre-distribute Materials for Work Times B and C at student workspaces.
  • Post: Learning targets, "Wandering through the Zoo" poem, and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

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

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1 and 2 to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 1.I.B.6, 1.II.A.1, 1.II.A.2, 1.I.C.10, 1.I.A.1, 1.I.A.3, 1.II.B.4, and 1.I.B.8

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 Lessons 6-7 (response sheets about feathers and feet).
  • Make sure that ELLs understand the assessment directions. Answer their questions, refraining from supporting them with the skill being assessed (see Meeting Students' Needs column).
  • 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.
  • Allow time for students to grapple with completing this assessment independently before providing support. Grappling will help students build independence and offer an opportunity to assess what they are able to do independently.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During the Closing, students reflect on what they learned to do when reading an informational text. Some students may need additional support with recalling the work they did with informational texts in this and prior lessons. Scaffold memory and access of prior learning by listing the related learning with informational texts on chart paper or a white board.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, students answer questions during the unit assessment. Continue to supports students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): When assessing student work, provide feedback that is oriented toward mastery rather than relative performance. Focus on effort and improvement in order to build confidence and minimize risk. During the assessment, provide scaffolds that support executive function skills, self-regulation, and students' abilities to monitor progress before and after the assessment. Recall that these can be tailored to students' individualized goals.

Vocabulary

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

Review:

  • dabbling (T)

Materials

  • White boards (one per pair)
  • White board markers (one per pair)
  • "Wandering through the Zoo" (from Lesson 7; one to display)
  • "Wandering through the Zoo" (from Lesson 7; answers, for teacher reference)
  • Great spotted woodpecker photograph (from Lesson 4; one to display)
  • Language Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Just Ducks (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Birds (Scholastic Discover More) (one to display for teacher read-aloud, and one per pair)
  • Unit 1 Assessment: Birds of Prey (one per student and one to display; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Informational Readers' Reflection response sheet (one to display)

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

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Poem and Movement: "Wandering through the Zoo" Poem (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Move students into predetermined pairs.
  • Distribute white boards and white board markers and display "Wandering through the Zoo."
  • Tell students they will get a chance to practice using adjectives with strength with a partner.
  • Follow the routine from the Opening of Lesson 7 to guide students through completing the third stanza of the poem with their partner. Display the great spotted woodpecker photograph and invite students to work with their partner to record their answers on the white boards.
  • Refer to "Wandering through the Zoo" (answers, for teacher reference) as necessary and use the Language Checklist to collect data on students' progress toward L.1.1f and L.1.5d.
  • For ELLs: (Rereading) Consider rereading the two first stanzas of the poem to ground students on the work to be completed today. Invite an ELL to explain what was done in Lesson 7 and how the photograph and Adjectives Shades of Meaning, Version 2 anchor chart were used to complete the stanzas.
  • For students who may need additional support with expressive skills: Before reading the poem, offer index cards preprinted with adjectives to select as students participate in selecting missing words. (MMAE)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Researcher: Just Ducks, Page 10 (5 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that today they will read page 10 of Just Ducks to research more about how and what the mallard duck eats.
  • Display page 10 of Just Ducks.
  • Point to and reread the fact box on the bottom of the page:
    • "'Dabbling' is when ducks nibble at the surface of the water with their beaks to get tiny bits of food--small insects and seeds."
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does a duck do when it is dabbling?" (nibbling the surface of the water with its beak to get food)

  • If productive, cue students to explain why a classmate came up with a particular response:

"Who can explain why your classmate came up with that response?"

  • Invite students to once again act out the word dabbling with one hand acting as the beak and the other hand acting as the surface of the water.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses:

"What kind of food is the mallard duck trying to get with its beak when it is dabbling?" (small insects and seeds)

  • Tell students that they will now continue to research how and what other birds eat.
  • For ELLs: (Defining Words) Consider clarifying for students that upending is also something mallards do to get food with their beak. Ask:

"What kind of food does the mallard duck get with its beak underwater?" (water plants and snails)

  • For students who may need additional support with oral processing: Offer alternatives for oral information by providing discussion questions visually on the board or chart paper. (MMR)

B. Reading Aloud to Research Birds of Prey: Birds (Scholastic Discover More), Pages 20-21 (15 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Direct their attention to the posted learning target and read it aloud:

"I can find information and answer questions about a new kind of bird in the text Birds (Scholastic Discover More)."

  • Remind students that in the previous lessons they used text features and evidence from the text to answer questions.
  • Tell students they will now listen to two new pages about birds of prey and will work independently to answer several questions about what they read in order to show what they know.
  • Display Birds (Scholastic Discover More) and read pages 20-21 aloud fluently and with expression, including the labels and captions.
  • Transition students to their workspaces beside their book buddy and ensure each pair has their text.
  • For ELLs: (Owning Learning Targets) Invite students to give specific examples of how they will work toward meeting the learning targets in this lesson.
  • For students who may need additional support with visual perception: During the read-aloud, display the text on a document camera or an enlarged copy of the text to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page. (MMR)

C. Unit 1 Assessment: Birds of Prey (20 minutes)

  • Remind students that they are now going to show what they understand about these pages by answering some questions.
  • Tell them that they should continue to share the text with their book buddy, but they will answer the questions on their own without talking to their book buddy.
  • Display the Unit 1 Assessment: Birds of Prey and read aloud the directions:
    • "Listen to your teacher read pages 20-21 aloud. Then use the text and illustrations to help you answer the questions below."
  • Tell students that you will read each question aloud and then give them time to answer it before moving on to the next question. Answer clarifying questions.
  • Direct students' attention to Question 1 on the assessment and read the question aloud:
    • "If you wanted to (quickly/easily/efficiently) find out what these two pages were about, which text feature would you use?"
    • Tell students that when answering Question 1, they should choose one of the choices listed. Read the choices aloud:
  • "Illustrations"
  • "Heading"
  • "Captions"
  • Give students time to answer the question.

Repeat this process with Questions 2-7. Encourage students to do their best to write the answer on their own.

  • Collect students' assessments and give them specific, positive feedback on their ability to look closely at the text and think about the question before answering it.
  • For ELLs: Ensure that ELLs clearly understand all assessment directions. Rephrase directions for them as needed. Monitor during the assessment to see that students are completing the assessment correctly. Stop students who are on the wrong track and make sure they understand the directions.
  • For ELLs: (Reviewing Strategies for Answering Questions) Invite students to recall and use what they did with the response sheets in Lesson 6-7 (put the selected response question in their own words, and consider if their response answers the question and if there is anything else they could add to the response to make it stronger).
  • For students who may need additional support with maintaining engagement: Continue to provide supports to minimize distractions during the assessment. (MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

  • Share with students that they have learned so much; it is important for them to reflect on all their new knowledge and skills.
  • Display the Informational Readers' Reflection response sheet and read aloud the prompt:
    • "Look through the pages of the Birds book with your book buddy. Think about all the pages we have read together and how we have learned to read an informational text. What have you learned to do when reading an informational text?"
  • Model looking at a page in Birds and thinking aloud about what students have learned and done:
    • "We read this page together, and I remember learning about beaks. The captions helped me learn what each beak does. Now I know to read captions to find out more about the pictures."
  • Write on the response sheet:
    • "I used captions. I learned about beaks."
  • Turn and Talk:

"What have you learned to do when reading an informational text?" (think about the headings, look closely at the illustrations, etc.)

  • As students share, circulate and remind them of text features as needed.
  • Invite volunteers to share out and write their answers on the response sheet to illustrate how much the class has learned as readers of informational texts.
  • Refocus whole group and invite students to give a cheer for all the hard work they have done as readers!
  • For ELLs: (Supporting Writing) Provide help for students to write their Informational Readers' Reflection response sheet by pointing them to resources around the room that will help them write, or by taking dictation on what they want to write.
  • To build a supportive and inclusive classroom community, remind students that everyone is working on building reading skills. All students will have different skills they need to work on, but what is most important is that they are constantly developing. (MME)

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