Speaking and Listening: Sharing our Informative Writing | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M3:U2:L17

Speaking and Listening: Sharing our Informative Writing

In this Lesson

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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.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can add scientific drawings to my informative paragraph about birds. (W.1.8)
  • I can share and celebrate my work with others. (SL.1.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Time B when students are sharing their informative paragraphs, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress toward SL.1.1a and SL.1.1b (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Developing Language: Find My Match (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Independent Writing: Adding Pictures to Match Our Text (20 minutes)

B. Sharing Our Work: Informative Paragraphs (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Musical Mingle Protocol: Revisiting Our Class Goals (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this final lesson of the unit, students share their informative paragraph about birds with a small group, helping to support students' speaking and listening skills and cultivate a sense of pride and ownership in their work.
  • During the Opening, students learn one final Vocabulary game that demonstrates their understanding of and ability to distinguish verbs based on their shades of meaning (L.1.5d).
  • During Work Time A, students add scientific drawings to their informative paragraph. Students have had the opportunity to practice and refine their scientific drawing skills throughout this unit and can apply them during this final task. The addition of scientific drawing adds to the message of their writing. Consider allotting extra instructional time if necessary to complete this.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • Students learn a new Vocabulary game during the Opening that builds on their work around distinguishing and using verbs based on their shade of meaning from throughout the unit.
  • This lesson provides a structure for students to share their Unit 2 Assessment paragraphs that they wrote in Lessons 15-16.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Students may feel uncomfortable sharing their writing with classmates. Consider allocating additional time for independent practice before the group share. Provide support and encouragement during the group share and target groups who may need extra help.
  • Students may need additional time to complete the scientific drawings for their informative paragraph. Reallocate instructional time to provide more time as necessary.
  • Some students may need additional support with providing specific feedback during Work Time B. Consider providing and posting the sentence frame: "You did a good job of _______."

Down the road:

  • Students will build on their research from this unit as they begin Unit 3.

In Advance

  • Strategically group students into pairs with at least one strong reader per pair for the Opening and triads for Work Time B.
  • Prepare the Verb Word Cards 3 by creating 10 sets of two.
  • Pre-distribute Materials for Work Time A at student workspaces.
  • 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.A.1, 1.I.B.5, and 1.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to synthesize their learning through structured discussion and reflection using sentence frames.
  • Students may feel self-conscious sharing their work with the class because some may still struggle with reading and speaking in the language itself (see "Levels of support" and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Before providing sentence frames or additional modeling during the Closing, observe student interaction and allow students to grapple. Provide supportive frames and demonstrations only after students have grappled with the task. Observe the areas in which they struggle in order to target appropriate support.
  • Invite students to discuss how showing the Unit 2 Learning Plan anchor chart has helped them learn throughout the unit.

For heavier support:

  • Support students by empowering them to ask their peers for help when they do not understand or need help reading. Enthusiastically encourage students to participate, but refrain from pressuring them.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): When groups are sharing and celebrating culminating work, document and review their learning processes. Continue to highlight aspects of the learning and writing process that were important in this unit by explaining verbally and/or by displaying photo documentation with captions that describe how students learned about birds.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Similar to previous lessons in this unit, this lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in discussion with partners. Continue to support those who may need support with expressive language by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Students who may need additional support with writing may feel uncomfortable sharing their writing with peers and receiving feedback. Create an inclusive and supportive classroom environment by emphasizing that everyone is working toward different writing goals. Place emphasis on growth rather than relative performance.

Vocabulary

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

Review:

  • scientific drawing (L)

Materials

  • Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart (begun in Lesson 8)
  • Verb Word Cards 3 (one card per pair)
  • Unit 2 Assessment: Teacher Model (one for teacher modeling; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Unit 2 Assessment booklet (completed in Lesson 16; one per student; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Colored pencils (class set; variety of colors per student)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • "Spied a Feather" (from Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Unit 2 Learning Plan anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Musical Mingle Protocol anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)

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. Developing Language: Find My Match (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Remind them of the different Vocabulary games they have played to practice distinguishing verbs based on their shades of meaning.
  • Tell students that today they will learn one final game: Find My Match.
  • Direct students' attention to the Verbs Shades of Meaning anchor chart and remind students that the verbs on this chart show the strength of verbs that mean almost the same thing but have small differences.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What are examples of verbs that are similar but show different shades of meaning?" (Responses will vary, but may include: leap and hop, snatch and take.)

  • Invite students to act out two of the verbs from the anchor chart to show the different shades of meaning.
  • Explain the game to students:
    • Each pair will receive a verb card that is either a weak verb or a strong verb.
    • Pairs will circulate through the room, looking for their match of verb. If they have a weak verb, they need to find their strong verb match. Provide an example: strike - tap.
  • Move students into pre-determined pairs, distribute Verb Word Cards 3, and invite students to begin the game.
  • Once students have found their match, invite them to exchange verb cards with other groups and repeat if time permits.
  • When 1 minute remains, refocus students whole group and offer specific, positive feedback on their work playing the various Vocabulary games throughout the unit.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Reviewing: Game Rules) Invite a student to remind the class how to play Find My Match. (MMR)
  • For ELLs: (Strategic Grouping: Similar Proficiency) To encourage students to develop independence and take responsibility for their learning, create groups with similar levels of language proficiency. This can allow more accurate data on ELLs' progress.

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Independent Writing: Adding Pictures to Match Our Text (20 minutes)

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

"I can add scientific drawings to my informative paragraph about birds."

  • Turn and Talk:

"What is a scientific drawing?" (detailed and realistic drawing that shows information)

"How is a scientific drawing different from a regular drawing?" (It's more detailed and realistic.)

  • Briefly review the definition of scientific drawing (a detailed and accurate picture that teaches the viewer information about an object).
  • Tell students that today they will add scientific drawings to their informative paragraphs that they finished in the previous lessons.
  • If productive, cue students with a challenge:

"Can you figure out why we are adding scientific drawings to our informative paragraphs about birds? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Display the Unit 2 Assessment: Teacher Model. Tell students that each of the pages that they wrote during Lessons 15-16 were stapled together into a booklet.
  • Briefly review each page of the booklet and remind students that they have not yet added scientific drawings to their writing.
  • Post and review the procedure for adding illustrations to their writing:
  1. Reread each page of your Unit 2 Assessment booklet.
  2. Add a scientific drawing to match the written content of each page.
  3. After each drawing is complete, add color using colored pencils.
  • Point out the Unit 2 Assessment booklets, pencils, and colored pencils already at their workspaces.
  • Transition students to their workspaces and invite them to begin working.
  • Circulate and remind students to use the ideas they have learned throughout the unit about scientific drawing.
  • When 2 minutes remain, provide students with a time reminder.
  • When 1 minute remains, signal all students to stop working and invite them to return to the whole group gathering area with their Unit 2 Assessment booklet. Tell students to place their booklets in a quiet spot next to them. They will refer to these booklets as they share their work with partners in the next part of the lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with motivation: (Owning Learning Targets) Invite students to give specific examples of how they will work toward meeting the learning targets in this lesson. (MME)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning: (Rereading) Allow time for students to orally process the information on their Unit 2 Assessment and to verbalize a plan before students get started with their scientific drawings. (MMAE, MME)

B. Sharing Our Work: Informative Paragraphs (20 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group and offer specific, positive feedback on their scientific drawings.
  • Direct their attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can share and celebrate my work with others."

  • Tell students that today is an exciting day because they are going to share lots of learning from this unit with one another. They will begin by sharing one of the songs they have learned.
  • Invite students to stand up.
  • Display "Spied a Feather" and invite students to sing the song and complete the accompanying hand motions.
  • Refocus whole group and tell students that they will now have a chance to share their informative paragraph with a small group.
    • Move students into pre-determined triads and invite them to bring their Unit 2 Assessment booklets with them.
    • Tell students that today when a partner shares his or her work, they are going to practice giving kind feedback. Remind students that kind feedback is feedback that tells the writer one thing that he or she did a good job of in the writing.
    • Post the following sentence frame and encourage students to use it in their triads today:
  • "You did a good job of _____________."
    • Remind students that once the first reader has shared, they should move to the second reader, and so on until all students in the group have shared.
    • Invite students to begin sharing in their groups.
    • Circulate as students share and offer guidance and support as necessary.
    • With 2 minutes remaining, signal students to finish up their sharing and refocus whole group. Give specific, positive feedback on sharing their informative paragraphs with their classmates.
  • Celebrate students' hard work completing and sharing their informative paragraph about birds by inviting them to stand up and flap their wings five times in a celebratory bird dance.
  • For ELLs: (Pacing Prompts) It may take longer for some students to process language and follow the presentations as students share in their groups. Encourage students to speak up when they would like to hear something repeated. Empower them with questions they can ask to regulate the pace of the conversation. Examples:

"Can you please repeat what you said?"

"Can you please speak more slowly?"

  • For ELLs: (Sentence Frames: Individual Copies) Consider giving students a copy of the sentence frame "You did a good job of ___________." for them to have with them during the sharing.
  • For students who may need additional support with engagement: Before students share their work, create an accepting and supportive classroom environment by encouraging students to respect each student's work and willingness to take a risk by sharing her or his work. (MME)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Musical Mingle Protocol: Revisiting Our Class Goals (10 minutes)

  • Follow the same routine from the Closing of Lesson 16 to guide students through a reflection using the Musical Mingle protocol:
    • Direct students' attention to the Unit 2 Learning Plan anchor chart and review the class goals.
    • Guide students through three rounds of the Musical Mingle protocol, reviewing the Musical Mingle Protocol anchor chart beforehand as needed:

"Which character goals have we reached?"

"How did we accomplish our goals?"

"Which goals were easiest/most difficult to meet?"
  • For ELLs: (Celebrating Learning) Consider giving feedback on what an ELL did well. This will help the student build his or her self-confidence and to identify and repeat that success next time.
  • For ELLs: (Sentence Frames: Providing Options) Provide options for responding to the prompts by offering different sentence frames. Examples:
    • "One of the character goals we reached was ______."
    • "We accomplish our goals by _____."
    • "It was hard to do ____ because ______."

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