Research Writing: Drafting the Detail Sentences and the Conclusion Statement of My Beaks Informative Paragraph | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M3:U2:L13

Research Writing: Drafting the Detail Sentences and the Conclusion Statement of My Beaks Informative Paragraph

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • 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.
  • W.1.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of "how-to" books on a given topic and use them to write a sequence of instructions).
  • W.1.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • 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 draft the detail sentences and conclusion statement of my informative paragraph using evidence from my research. (W.1.2, W.1.7, W.1.8)
  • I can use evidence to explain the type of beak that is best for scooping fish. (W.1.8)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Opening, continue to use the Language Checklist to monitor students' progress toward L.1.5d (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • During Work Times A and B, circulate during writing time to reinforce the idea of using concrete evidence from the text and students' experiences to explain their thinking. (W.1.7, W.1.8)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Song and Movement: "Birds in the Wilderness" (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Research Writing: Drafting the Detail Sentences and Conclusion Statement (25 minutes)

B. Engaging the Scientist: Beaks That Scoop Challenge (25 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • All Agenda items contain routines from previous lessons in this unit. Refer to those lessons for more detail. The Opening of this lesson follows the same routine as Lessons 10-12, using the song "Birds in the Wilderness" to practice the pairs of verbs from the Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart. Choose unpracticed or favorite verbs to sing the song as many times as time permits.
  • In Work Time A, students continue writing their informative paragraph on how birds use their beaks to survive. This scaffolded experience uses students' Shared Writing: Feathers paragraph as a model and their Beaks: Individual Notes as research to draft the second two detail sentences as well as the conclusion statement. The writing concludes in this lesson and asks that students see their writing become a booklet by stapling their two pages of writing from Lesson 12 to the writing completed in this lesson.
  • In Work Time B, students take part in an experiment using tools as beaks to scoop "fish." This experiment reinforces the scientific concepts behind their research and allows students practice with using evidence in their writing. Use the same assigned groupings for the challenge as in Lesson 12.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 12, the teacher guided students through writing a focus statement and Details #1 for their informative paragraphs about beaks. In this lesson, students use the same routine to write the Details #2 sentences and their conclusion sentence.
  • The challenge in Work Time B follows the exact structure of the challenge in Work Time B of Lesson 12 but changes the task being performed by the "beak" from crushing seeds to scooping fish.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Apply any supports from Lesson 12 to the writing process in Work Time A of this lesson.
  • Apply any supports from Lesson 12 to the beak challenge in Work Time B of this lesson.

Down the road:

  • Students continue using "Birds in the Wilderness" to practice shades of meaning with verbs. These lessons provide multiple opportunities to assess mastery on L.1.5d.
  • In this lesson, students finish their paragraph by writing their second two detail sentences and conclusion statement. This is in preparation for them to write an informative paragraph independently in Lessons 15-16 for their Unit 2 Assessment.
  • Students repeat the beak challenge with a different task in Lesson 14.

In Advance

  • Pre-distribute Materials for Work Time A at student workspaces.
  • Create challenge stations by placing a large bowl of water with a few handfuls of Unifix cubes (or other floating manipulatives), a paper towel, a pair of tweezers, a pair of pliers, and a pasta server in each designated area.
  • Post: Learning targets 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 1-2 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.8 and 1.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through opportunities to write an effective paragraph about beaks. This lesson scaffolds to the Unit 2 Assessment (W.1.2).
  • ELLs may find it challenging to write a second piece of evidence, elaboration, and the conclusion statement (see "Levels of support" and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite a student to explain the parts of an effective informational paragraph by pointing to the color-coded paragraph and the Parts of an Informative Paragraph anchor chart.

For heavier support:

  • If students have a hard time moving from orally processing their Detail #2 and conclusion statement to writing, invite them to notice how another student has made the transition to writing by looking at that student's work so far and have that student verbalize what he or she did.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by activating prior knowledge and scaffold connections for students. Continue to provide visual displays of questions and student responses.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected during the Beaks That Scoop Challenge.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to offer support in linking the lesson's activities back to the learning target. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of the activity to the learning target.

Vocabulary

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

Materials

  • "Birds in the Wilderness" (from Lesson 10; one to display)
  • Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8)
  • Language Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Beaks: Individual Notes (completed; from Lesson 10; one per student)
  • Parts of an Informative Paragraph anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4)
  • Annotated Shared Writing: Feathers (from Lesson 11; one to display)
  • Beaks Informative Booklet (from Lesson 12; one per student)
    • Beaks Details #2 (page 3 of the Beaks Informative Booklet)
    • Conclusion Statement (page 4 of Beaks Informative Booklet)
    • Focus Statement (page 1 of the Beaks Informative Booklet)
    • Beaks Details #1 (page 2 of the Beaks Informative Booklet)
  • Stapler (one; used by the teacher to create finished Beaks Informative Booklet)
  • Beaks That Scoop Challenge prompt (one to display)
  • Unifix cubes or other floating manipulatives (several handfuls per group)
  • Big bowl of water (one per group)
  • Paper towel (one per group)
  • Tweezers (from Lesson 12; one per group)
  • Pliers (from Lesson 12; one per group)
  • Pasta server (from Lesson 12; one per group)
  • Birds Research notebook, Part II (from Lesson 1; page 10; one per student)

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: "Birds in the Wilderness" (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Display "Birds in the Wilderness" and the Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart.
  • Tell students they will get to sing and act out the song again with a new bird and set of verbs to practice the different strengths of the verbs.
  • Follow the routine from the Opening of Lesson 10 to sing the song using a new bird and set of verbs.
    • Consider using the Language Standards Checklist to collect data on students' progress.
    • Repeat the process as time permits, using new or favorite birds and verbs from the Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with Vocabulary: (Reviewing Words) Some students would benefit from reviewing the meaning and pronunciation of the verbs in the Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Research Writing: Drafting the Detail Sentences and Conclusion Statement (25 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Direct their attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can draft the detail sentences and conclusion statement of my informative paragraph using evidence from my research."

  • Share with students that they will use their Beaks: Individual Notes to finish writing their informative paragraph about how birds use their beaks to survive.
  • Remind students that all informative paragraphs have several important parts, but that today they will focus only on writing one more set of detail sentences and a conclusion sentence.
  • Transition students back to their workspace using the Bird Boogie transition routine.
  • Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 12 to guide students through writing their second set of detail sentences and the conclusion sentence.
    • Review the sentences' jobs, using the Parts of an Informative Paragraph anchor chart.
    • Use the Annotated Shared Writing: Feathers paragraph to read the second set of detail sentences and the conclusion sentence aloud:
  • "Other birds have colored feathers that match their habitat." (detail sentence)
  • "These feathers help the bird to hide." (detail sentence)
  • "Feathers protect birds from the sun, the cold, and predators." (conclusion sentence)
    • Invite students to review their Beaks: Individual Notes and orally process their sentences with a partner.
    • Invite students to use the Details #2 and Conclusion Statement sheets already at their workspaces to write their sentence.
    • Guide students through revising their sentences for a capital letter, a period, and to ensure that all words have letters to match their sounds, if they were unsure of the spelling.
    • Invite students to add quick sketches to both their details and conclusion sheets.
    • While students finish up their drawings, circulate with students' Focus Statement sheets, Details #1 sheets, and a stapler to make their writing into a booklet.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for verbal expression: (Rereading) Ensure students can read and understand their Beaks: Individual Notes before inviting students to turn and talk. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: (Providing Think Time) Ensure students have ample quiet time to think after the question "What is the big idea of YOUR paragraph?" is posed and before turning to talk to a partner.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: (Verbal Writing Practice) Allow students to discuss and rehearse their sentences before writing. (MMAE)

B. Engaging the Scientist: Beaks That Scoop Challenge (25 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Invite them to participate in a quick game of Bird Simon Says as a movement break.
  • Tell students that they are going to do a beak challenge similar to the one they completed in Lesson 12.
  • Follow the same routine from Work Time B of Lesson 12 to complete the beak challenge:
    • Display and read the Beaks That Scoop Challenge prompt.
    • Briefly demonstrate, using a tool to scoop a Unifix cube from the big bowl of water and placing it onto a paper towel.
    • Show and name of the other tools (tweezers, pliers, and pasta server), naming each one at a time. Review safety precautions for each tool.
    • Ask students to predict which tool will work best.
    • Distribute students' Birds Research notebooks, Part II and dismiss students to their group's assigned challenge station.
    • Invite students to open to page 10 in their notebook and look at the first "beak."
    • Lead partners A, B, and C through 30 seconds of practice time with the first tool.
    • When each partner has had a turn, invite groups to count their team's cubes and record their number next to the pliers on page 10 of their notebook.
    • Repeat this process with all three students taking a turn with the remaining two "beaks."
    • Invite students to discuss with their group which beak was the best.
    • Read the sentence stem at the bottom of page 10:
  • "I think the best tool for scooping fish was the ___ because ___."
    • Reread the second learning target.
    • Select a few volunteers to share which tool they think is the best and what evidence they have to prove their answer.
    • Invite students to complete their own sentence in their notebooks.
    • Give students positive, specific feedback for their work during the challenge.
  • For ELLs: (Verbal Writing Practice) Allow students to discuss and rehearse their sentence before writing.
  • For students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: Invite students to share one thing they learned from Lesson 12 that would be helpful to know as they do another beak challenge. (Example: "When we did the beak challenge, it was helpful when we were respectful and waited our turns.") (MMR, MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A.  Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Follow the routine from the Closing of Lesson 12 to guide students through checking in on their personal goals with a partner.
  • For ELLs: (Providing Think Time) Ensure students have ample quiet time to reread their goal and to think after the question "How did you do with your goal today?" is posed.

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