Reading and Writing: Expert Birds, Day 4 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G1:M3:U3:L7

Reading and Writing: Expert Birds, Day 4

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • 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.1.6
  • RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
  • 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.
  • 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.1.1c: Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
  • SL.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
  • SL.1.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to gather additional information or clarify something that is not understood.
  • SL.1.4: Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
  • SL.1.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
  • 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.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can research information about my expert bird using the text "Did You Know?" (RI.1.6, RI.1.7, W.1.7, W.1.8)
  • I can prepare and plan for a Science Talk using my expert bird research. (W.1.7)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the Opening, continue to monitor students' ability to participate in the Interactive Word Wall protocol and as they work to connect bird-related words. (SL.1.4, L.1.1f)
  • During Work Time A, continue to use the Reading Informational Text Checklist during the reading independently to research expert birds in Work Time A to track students' progress toward RI.1.5, RI.1.6, RI.1.7, W.1.7, and W.1.8 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Building Vocabulary: Interactive Word Wall (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Reading Independently to Research and Take Notes: "Did You Know?" (20 minutes)

B. Preparing for a Science Talk (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In Work Time A, students continue to research and collect information about their expert birds using the text "Did You Know?" Students will either add further details to their existing research about a specific bird body part, or will find new information about a specific bird body part.
  • In Work Time B, students watch a 4-minute video titled "Science Talk: Management in the Active Classroom." This prepares them for their Science Talk in tomorrow's lesson.
  • In the Closing, students continue to think about the habit of character of perseverance and reflect on their progress toward showing perseverance while completing their research on their expert bird.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 6, students were reintroduced to the Interactive Word Wall protocol and participated in it as a whole group. In this lesson, they do so in small groups.
  • Similar to Lessons 5-6, students continue to find information about their expert bird using a new text, "Did You Know?"

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During the Interactive Word Wall protocol, continue to encourage all students to interact with their classmates and the Vocabulary, and assure them that this routine will be practiced again and again.
  • During the Interactive Word Wall protocol, students may continue to find it challenging to make connections between various bird-related words. Verbalizing the reason for a connection also may be challenging. If needed, provide additional scaffolding by limiting the number of words or choosing the word for the student and asking the student to think about how the two words are connected.
  • Some students will find it challenging to reread the specific "Did You Know?" page for their selected bird during Work Time A. Strategically group students so they can support one another as they read and research this complex text, ensuring that proficient readers are grouped with readers who need support. Also, consider annotating each "Did You Know?" text with underlines, pictures, etc. to help students remember important points and reread difficult words (e.g., put a lightning bolt next to the word lightning in the "Did You Know? Hummingbird" text).
  • Some students may need additional support with reflecting on perseverance during the Closing. Consider naming specific behaviors that show perseverance and give concrete examples that help students to articulate their own progress toward this habit of character. Example: "I noticed Dominic challenged himself to read the research page independently today. He showed a lot of perseverance to get through the whole research page."

Down the road:

  • Students will continue using the Interactive Word Wall protocol to reinforce their understanding of bird-related Vocabulary. Students will use this knowledge to complete their Expert Bird Riddle card in Lesson 9.
  • In Lesson 8, students will use their bird research to participate in a Science Talk to answer the question "How does my bird's body help it survive?"
  • In Lesson 12, students will share learning from all three units during the end of module Celebration of Learning. Consider extending invitations to the principal, families, community members, and other teachers and their classes to attend.

In Advance

  • Prepare technology necessary to play "Science Talk: Management in the Active Classroom" in Work Time B (see Technology and Multimedia).
  • Pre-determine triads for the Interactive Word Wall protocol in the Opening.
  • 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.
  • Work Time B: Set up "Science Talk: Management in the Active Classroom":

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.1, K.1.B.5, and K.I.B.6

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by providing opportunities to interact with their classmates and the Vocabulary of the module and to prepare for the Unit 3 Assessment.
  • ELLs may find making connections in the Interactive Word Wall to be challenging, because they may not know the meaning of the words to begin with (see "Levels of support" and Meeting Students' Needs).

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Consider inviting students to add sketches to represent the meaning of the Interactive Word Wall cards in Opening A.

For heavier support:

  • Consider reviewing each Interactive Word Wall card by reading the word aloud and discussing the different bird body parts, what the parts look like, and the action that the parts make.
  • Consider watching the Science Talk video again and reviewing the Science Talk Protocol anchor chart and the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart as needed.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students by offering options for perception. Pausing for clarification of new Vocabulary will also help students who may need additional support with comprehension.
  • 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 lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to offer support in linking the lesson's activities back to the learning target to explicitly highlight 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)

New:

  • clarify (L)

Materials

  • Interactive Word Wall Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
  • Interactive Word Wall cards (from Lesson 6; one set per triad)
  • Arrow cards (from Lesson 6; one set per triad)
  • Expert Bird Riddle Criteria anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • "Did You Know?" texts (one per pair in each expert group)
    • "Did You Know? Hummingbirds"
    • "Did You Know? Woodpeckers"
    • "Did You Know? Blue Jays"
    • "Did You Know? Pelicans"
    • "Did You Know? Penguins"
    • "Did You Know? Wood Ducks"
  • "Did You Know? Cardinals" (one to display)
  • Expert Birds Research notebook (from Lesson 2; page 3; one per student and one for teacher modeling)
  • Expert Birds Research notebook (from Lesson 2; page 3; example, for teacher reference)
  • "Science Talk: Management in the Active Classroom" (video; play in entirety; see Technology and Multimedia)
  • Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart (begun in Unit 1, Lesson 10)
  • Science Talk sentence starters (one to display)
  • Sticky notes (one per student and one for teacher modeling)
  • Perseverance anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6)

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. Building Vocabulary: Interactive Word Wall (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to the whole group meeting area.
  • Tell them they are going to use the Interactive Word Wall protocol to practice using and connecting important Vocabulary about birds and their physical features. Remind students that they used this protocol in Lesson 6 and review as necessary using the Interactive Word Wall Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Move students into pre-determined triads and guide them through the protocol using the Interactive Word Wall cards and Arrow cards.
  • After 8 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • If time permits, debrief with students by inviting them to show a thumbs-up to indicate a positive response to these questions:

"Did you put the word cards and Arrow cards in the middle of your group?"

"Did you choose one word to connect to another word by using an Arrow card?"

"Did you explain why the words connect together?"

  • Give students specific, positive feedback regarding their participation in the protocol.
  • Tell them that tomorrow they will continue to participate in the Interactive Word Wall protocol.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for verbal expression: (Using Sentence Frames) Provide sentence frames to support oral language processing. (Example: "I connected the words _____, _____, and _____ because ______.") (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Paraphrasing) Check for comprehension by inviting students to paraphrase the rationale for each connection in their own words. (Example: A hummingbird uses its long beak to drink nectar. "Ari, can you tell me, in your own words, why we connected long, beak, and drink?") (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reading Independently to Research and Take Notes: "Did You Know?" (20 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Direct their attention to the Expert Bird Riddle Criteria anchor chart and point to and read aloud the following criteria:
    • "Includes: Two body parts"
    • "Includes: How the body parts help the bird survive"
  • Ask students to take a couple of seconds to think about these criteria as they reflect on their research over the past several lessons.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Which body parts have you found research about?" (beaks, feathers, wings, feet)

"What facts have you learned about how one of the body parts on your expert bird helps it survive?" (Responses will vary, but may include: The beak on my bird is long and helps it drink from a flower.)

  • Tell students that today they will have a chance to continue to research specific body parts of their expert bird. Remind students that they need to make sure they have enough information about two different body parts to be able to write their final Expert Bird Riddle.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can research information about my expert bird using the text 'Did You Know?'"

  • Tell students that today they will research more about their expert bird and will continue to take notes about a body part using the "Did You Know?" texts.
  • Tell students that some of them will find information about a new body part on their expert bird, while others will find new information about a body part that they have already researched.
  • Tell students that you will now model how to use this text to collect new research.
    • Display "Did You Know? Cardinals."
    • Ask:

"What text features did you notice on this page?" (illustrations, headings, text boxes, labels)

    • If productive, cue students to add on to what a classmate said:

"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think."

    • Remind students that as we use this text to research more about the cardinal, we should use these different text features to find new information.
    • Read aloud "Did You Know? Cardinals" and think aloud to model how to find and add new information to the Expert Birds Research notebook. Say:
  • "I already found information about the feathers and the beak, so I want to see if this new text gives me more information about one of these body parts, or gives me new information about a new body part. As I reread the page and as I look at the illustration, I notice that this page is giving me information about the cardinal's feet. This is information about a new body part."
  • "As I reread the information on this page, I learn that the cardinal has feet that have three toes in the front and one toe in the back. I also learn that the cardinal uses its feet to scratch the ground to look for food. This is new information that I want to add to my Expert Birds Research notebook."
  • Model answering the questions on page 3 of the Expert Birds Research notebook. Refer to Expert Birds Research notebook (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Tell students they will now follow these same steps to complete page 3 of their Expert Birds Research notebook with their research group.
    • Display and read aloud the various "Did You Know?" pages for the different research birds, including the headings, text boxes, captions, and labels on each page.
    • Display page 3 of the Expert Birds Research notebook and read aloud the questions.
    • Point out the "Did You Know?" texts and notebooks already at students' workspaces.
    • Invite students to transition to their workspaces and work with their research groups to find information about a body part of their expert bird and to record this information in their Expert Birds Research notebook (including both answering the questions and adding illustrations).
    • After 12-15 minutes, refocus whole group.
    • Turn and Talk:

"What information have you learned about your expert bird?" (Responses will vary.)

"What are you excited to write about in your Expert Bird Riddle?" (Responses will vary.)

    • Invite two or three students to share out.
    • Tell students that over the next several lessons they will begin to write their Expert Bird Riddle using the information that they collected while researching.
    • Tell students to place their Expert Birds Research notebooks next to them for use during the next part of the lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with planning: (Using the Expert Birds Research Notebook) As needed, provide extra time for students to orient themselves to the pages they need to complete today (where to add illustrations to their notes from the previous lesson, what kind of sketch to add to each box, etc.). (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with activating prior knowledge: (Using Text Features) Remind students how to use text features to find information for a new body part. (MMR, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Adding Visuals) Create a list of what students need to do as they research information (find the section using text features, read, reread, and use text features such as illustrations).
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "They use their feet/to hop around and to scratch on the ground/searching for insects and other food."
    • Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:
  • "Who is this chunk about?" This sentence is about cardinals.
  • "How do cardinals use their feet?" cardinals use their feet to hop around and to scratch on the ground (to + verb)
    • Practice: I use my _____ use my hands to ____ and to _______ .
    • Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask:

"Now what do you think the sentence means?"

"How does this Language Dive add to your understanding of the text?"

    • Practice: I use my hands to ____ and to ____ when ______. Ask:

"Can we divide this sentence into two or more sentences? How?"

B. Preparing for a Science Talk (20 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Celebrate them for the work they have done researching information about their expert bird.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second target aloud:

"I can prepare and plan for a Science Talk using my expert bird research."

  • Remind students that they participated in a Science Talk in Unit 2 about how birds use their body parts to survive.
  • Share that today, they will watch a Science Talk video and discuss things they notice and should pay attention to during the Science Talk in the next lesson.
  • Play "Science Talk: Management in the Active Classroom."
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What did you notice in the video?" (Responses will vary.)

"What do you want to be mindful of during tomorrow's Science Talk?" (Responses will vary.)

  • If productive, cue students to think about their thinking:

"How does the video add to your understanding of the Science Talk protocol? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • Invite three to four students to share out.
  • Tell students that tomorrow they will use the Science Talk protocol to discuss the question: "How does my bird's body help it survive?"
  • Direct students' attention to the Classroom Discussion Norms anchor chart.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What kinds of questions can we ask when we don't understand what someone says?" ("Can you tell me more about...?" and "What do you mean by...?")

  •  If productive, cue students to add on to what a classmate said:

"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think."

  • Remind students that during previous Science Talks, they used sentence frames to help them add on to a classmate. Display the Science Talk sentence starters and read each one aloud.
  • Point to the last two sentence starters and share that these sentence starters can be used to clarify what someone says.
  • Define clarify (to make easier to understand). Emphasize that sometimes we need to clarify things when they don't make sense, or when we need more information.
  • Remind students that as they engage in the Science Talk protocol, they should use one of the sentence starters to add on or to build on what another group member might have said.
  • Display Expert Birds Research notebook (example, for teacher reference) and remind students that throughout the unit they have collected information about their expert birds in this notebook.
  • Tell them that today, they will have a chance to look through their research information about their expert bird and select information that they will use during tomorrow's Science Talk.
  • Think aloud as you select information and model marking it with sticky notes:
    • Review pages 1-3 in Expert Birds Research notebook (example, for teacher reference).
    • Say: "I want to make sure that I share information about the feathers during tomorrow's Science Talk. I know that I collected information about feathers on page 1.
    • Say: "I will mark this page with a sticky note so I can be sure to share the facts and the illustration on this page during tomorrow's Science Talk."
    • Say: "I also want to make sure that I share information about the beak. I collected information about the beak on page 2. I will also mark this page with a sticky note."
  • Point out the sticky notes already at students' workspaces and invite students to take their Expert Birds Research notebook with them back to their workspaces to begin marking the information that they want to share tomorrow.
  • Circulate as students review their notebooks, prompting them to review the information on each page and to select information about two of the body parts of their expert bird.
  • When 2 minutes remain, signal to students to begin cleaning up by closing their notebooks and placing them back in the center of their workspaces and refocus whole group.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with sustained effort: (Selecting Work) Some students may need support with staying focused through the steps of selecting the information from their Expert Birds Research notebook. Consider guiding students to complete one step at a time. (MME)
  • For ELLs: (Rereading) Invite students to reread the information they marked in their Expert Birds Research notebook.

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

  • Follow the same routine from the Closing of Lesson 6 to guide students' reflections:
    • Briefly review the Perseverance anchor chart.
    • Tell students that they will now have a chance to discuss how they showed perseverance today while researching their expert bird.
    • Think-Pair-Share:

"How did you show perseverance today?" (Responses will vary.)

"What is an example of a time you witnessed a classmate showing perseverance?" (Responses will vary.)

"What is one thing that you will continue to work on to show perseverance?" (Responses will vary.)

    • As students talk, circulate and listen in. Take note of the ideas students are sharing and target a few students to share out with the whole group.
    • Refocus whole group and tell students that they will continue to reflect on perseverance as they begin to write their Expert Bird Riddle card.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support in planning for verbal expression: (Previewing Questions) Consider going over the questions before the Think-Pair-Share and helping students find examples of how they showed perseverance. (MMAE, MME)
  • For ELLs: (Celebrating Learning) Consider giving feedback on what an ELL did well in this lesson. This will help the student build his or her self-confidence and to identify and repeat that success next time.

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