A. Focused Read-aloud: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (20 minutes)

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

"I can use vocabulary strategies to help identify the main idea and key details of the text 'What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest.'"

• Turn and Talk:

"What is the main topic?" (what the text is mostly about)

• Remind students that key details are words, sentences, or clues in the photographs that tell the reader about the main topic.
• Tell students that you are going to ask some questions about key details in the text so that you can figure out the main idea.
• Display "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest."
• Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does the word debate mean?" (a discussion involving people who feel differently about a topic)

"How does this text seem similar to or different from the text we read in the last lesson?" (The previous text was a book, and this is a short article; the previous text was literature, and this is informational; they are both about Pale Male.)

• Read the text aloud.
• Tell students that you are going to reread the text so they can help identify some key details. The key details will help to figure out the main topic.
• Begin reading the text aloud. Stop after reading:
• "Some neighbors who live in the apartment building are not quite as happy. They think these birds are a nuisance and something has to be done. In the end, the nest may need to be removed."
• Use a total participation technique to invite responses from the group and continue to do so each time you elicit responses from the group during the read-aloud:

"How did the neighbors feel?" (not quite as happy)

"How many neighbors were not happy?" (some)

Conversation Cue: "What, in the text, makes you think so?" (Responses will vary.)

• Tell students that some is a word that tells us how many. Some means more than one but not all.
• Ask:

"Who are 'these birds'?" (Pale Male and Lola)

• Define nuisance (a person or thing that annoys).
• Continue reading. Stop after reading:
• "'Leave that nest up!' the birdwatchers are saying. They think the nest should stay where it is."
• Ask:

"Who thinks the nest should stay where it is?" (the birdwatchers)

"How do you think the nest makes the birdwatchers feel?" (happy)

Conversation Cue: "What, in the text, makes you think so?" (Responses will vary.)

• Tell students that as you read the rest of the paragraph, they should listen for reasons the birdwatchers want to leave the nest up. If they hear a reason, they can pat their head.
• Continue reading aloud. Stop after reading:
• "There are many reasons why the birdwatchers want the nest to be left up."
• Turn and Talk:

"The author said that tall buildings are similar to trees. What does similar mean? How do you know?" (the same; sentence clues)

"The author said, 'Hawks can easily find food in the big city (they love to dine on rats, mice and pigeons).' What does the word dine mean? How do you know?" (to eat; clues or similar to dinner)

• Continue reading. Stop after reading:
• "Many of those who live in the apartment building wantthe nest to be taken down. 'Take that nest down!' they are saying."
• Ask:

"What nest needs to come down?" (Pale Male and Lola's nest)

"Who wants the nest to come down?" (neighbors)

"Do all of the neighbors want the nest down? How do you know?" (no; the text says, "many of")

Conversation Cue: "How did our discussion add to your understanding of the debate about Pale Male's nest? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

• Tell students that as you read the rest of the paragraph, they should listen for reasons the neighbors want to take the nest down. If they hear a reason, they can pat their head.
• Read aloud the remainder of the text.
• Turn and Talk:

"The author said parts of the nest fall onto the sidewalk below, which is dangerous. What does dangerous mean? How do you know?" (not safe; base word is danger)

"The author said that the nest is dangerous for the pedestrians who walk there. What does the word pedestrian mean? How do you know?" (person who is walking; sentence clues)

• Ask:

"What is this text mostly about?" (People have different opinions about what should happen to Pale Male's nest. Some people think Pale Male's nest should be left up, and other people think the nest should be taken down.)

Conversation Cue: "How did our discussion add to your understanding of key details in the text? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

C. Independent Writing: Pale Male Research Notebook (10 minutes)

• Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can write my opinion on what should happen to Pale Male's nest."

• Turn and Talk:

"What is an opinion?" (what you think about something)

• Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What two opinions do people have about Pale Male's nest?" (It should stay up; it should come down.)

• Use the same routine from Work Time C of Lesson 2 to guide students through completing page 2 of their Pale Male research notebook:
• Display page 2 of the Pale Male research notebook and read aloud the first sentence, pointing to each word as you do so:
• "Do you think we should leave Pale Male's nest up or take it down?"
• Turn and Talk, using the sentence stem "I think _____."
• Use a routine established in Module 3 to transition students back to their workspaces.
• Point out the Pale Male research notebooks already there and invite students to take theirs and turn to page 2.
• Reread the question and invite students to write their answer.
• Circulate to support students as necessary. Refer to the Pale Male research notebook (example, for teacher reference).
• After a few minutes, invite students to turn to the cover of their notebook.