Research Reading, Session 2: “What’s Best? The Debate about Pale Male’s Nest” | EL Education Curriculum

You are here

Home › Our Curriculum › ELA Grade 1 › ELA G1:M4 › ELA G1:M4:U2 ›

ELA G1:M4:U2:L5

Research Reading, Session 2: “What’s Best? The Debate about Pale Male’s Nest”

In this Lesson

You are here:

These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.1.1: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RI.1.2: Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.
  • RI.1.4: Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
  • RI.1.6: Distinguish between information provided by pictures or other illustrations and information provided by the words in a text.
  • RI.1.7: Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.
  • RI.1.8: Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.
  • 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).
  • 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.1.2: Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.
  • L.1.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • L.1.1h: Use determiners (e.g., articles, demonstratives).
  • L.1.1j: Produce and expand complete simple and compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.
  • L.1.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • L.1.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.
Download Materials

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can correctly connect determiners and nouns when playing the determiners matching game. (L.1.1h)
  • I can research information about Pale Male using my notes from the text "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest." (RI.1.1, RI.1.2, RI.1.4, RI.1.6, RI.1.7, RI.1.8, W.1.7)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the determiners game in the Opening, continue to gather data on students' progress toward L.1.1h as they connect determiners with nouns.
  • During the pair share in Work Time B and the shared writing in Work Time C, use the Reading Informational Text Checklist to track students' progress toward RI.1.1, RI.1.4, RI.1.6, RI.1.7, and RI.1.8 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Developing Language: Determiners Matching Game (10 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Language Dive: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest," "That Nest is a Mess!" (15 minutes)

B. Pair Share: Different Opinions from "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (10 minutes)

C. Shared Writing: Pale Male: Class Notes (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • Recall that the determiners game gives students a playful, flexible way to think about how and why to use determiners and supports students in feeling confident to use them when speaking and listening.
  • In Work Time B, students continue to take individual notes about the debate about Pale Male's nest as they learn about the opposing opinion from a partner.
  • During the Closing, students continue to think about the habit of character of respect and begin to think about what it means to listen to others' opinions respectfully. Students are guided through this process by thinking about what it "looks like" and "sounds like."

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 4, students were introduced to the determiners game as a whole group. In this lesson, they play the game in pairs.
  • In Lesson 4, students researched and began to write individual notes about one opinion on what to do with Pale Male's nest. In this lesson, students share notes with a partner who researched the opposing opinion and take notes about that opposing opinion.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During the determiners game, students may find it challenging to make connections between determiners and noun cards. Verbalizing the reason for a connection also may be challenging. If needed, provide additional scaffolding by limiting the number of determiner cards and picture cards or choosing the cards for the student and asking the student to think about how the two words are connected.
  • Some students may need additional support in writing their individual Pale Male notes during Work Time C. Remind students to use their partner for help and to use the tools around the room, such as the Bird Word Wall and the High Frequency Word Wall. Consider encouraging students to complete their notes using both pictures and words.

Down the road:

  • In Lesson 6, students will play the determiners game for a final time to reinforce their understanding of how to use and connect determiners to nouns.
  • In Lesson 6, students will learn about the different parts of an opinion paragraph as they analyze a model opinion paragraph.
  • In Lesson 7, students will be introduced to a new two-voice poem that includes determiners. This will provide further practice with this language structure.

In Advance

  • Pre-determine pairs for the Opening and Work Time B. For the latter, create partnerships that represent both opinions.
  • Review the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart (begun in Module 3).
  • Preview the Language Dive Guide and consider how to invite conversation among students to address the language goals suggested under each sentence strip chunk (see supporting materials). Select from the language goals provided to best meet your students' needs.
  • 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 1-3 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.I.B.8, 1.II.C.6, 1.l.C.10, and 1.I.C.12

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through opportunities to use their knowledge of determiners in a matching game and to understand the debate about Pale Male's nest by looking closely at opinions on both sides of the debate.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Invite a student to preview the determiner cards for the matching game during the Opening by reading the words aloud and explaining which cards represent one thing or more than one thing and which show things that are close by or far away.

For heavier support:

  • Continue to use sentence frames to help students explain why the two cards connect in the determiners matching game during Work Time A. 

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support comprehension by activating prior knowledge and scaffolding connections for students. Continue to provide visual display of questions and student responses on chart paper or the board during discussions.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): This lesson offers several opportunities for students to engage in discussion with partners. For those who may need additional support with expressive language, continue to facilitate communication by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to support sustained engagement and effort for students who benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance. 

Vocabulary

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

Review:

  • determiner, respect, opinion (L)

Materials

  • Determiners anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4)
  • Determiner cards (from Lesson 4; one set per pair)
  • Noun picture cards (from Lesson 4; one set per pair)
  • Language Standards Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Language Dive Guide II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (for teacher reference)
    • Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive (begun in Module 3)
    • Chunk Chart II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (for teacher reference)
    • Sentence Strip Chunks II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (one to display)
  • "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (from Lesson 3; one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
  • Pale Male research notebook (from Lesson 2; page 3; one per student)
  • Pale Male research notebook (from Lesson 2; example, for teacher reference)
  • Pale Male: Class Notes (new; added to during Work Time C; see supporting materials)
  • Pale Male: Class Notes (example, for teacher reference)
  • Respectful Opinions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4; added to during the Closing; see supporting materials)
  • Respectful Opinions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 4; example, for teacher reference)

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. Developing Language: Determiners Matching Game (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Remind students that in the previous lesson they learned how determiners connect to nouns.
  • Direct students' attention to the Determiners anchor chart and briefly review it.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"When do you use the words this or these?" (when you are talking about something close by)

"When do you use the words that or those?" (when you are talking about something far away)

"Which words do you use when you are talking about more than one thing?" (these, those)

Conversation Cue: "Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

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

"I can correctly connect determiners and nouns when playing the determiners matching game."

  • Tell students that today they will practice connecting determiners with noun pictures while playing the determiners matching game. Remind students that they learned how to play this game in the last lesson.
  • Review the steps for playing the determiners matching game:
    • Hold up and read each determiner card.
    • Hold up and explain each noun picture card.
    • Partners will work together to connect a determiner card with a noun picture card.
    • Remind students to think about how to connect determiners with nouns that agree in number and closeness.
  • Move students into pre-determined pairs and distribute sets of determiner cards and noun picture cards.
  • Invite students to begin the game.
  • Circulate and listen in as students play the game. Provide support and guidance as needed by reminding students to think about whether the noun picture is close by or far away and whether it is showing one thing or more than one thing.
  • Consider using the Language Standards Checklist to collect data on students' progress toward L.1.1h.
  • When 1 minute remains, signal all students to stop the game and tell them to put away their materials.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Tell students that in the next lesson they will have another chance to play this game with new words.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with working memory: (Reviewing Steps) Consider using the brief list of steps to play the game from Lesson 4 to review the routine (read a determiner card, find a noun card, explain why they match). (MMAE)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Language Dive: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest," "That Nest Is a Mess!" (15 minutes)

  • Invite students to play a couple of rounds of Bird Simon Says.
  • Tell students they will now participate in a Language Dive.
  • Focus students' attention on the Questions We Can Ask during a Language Dive anchor chart.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one question you can ask during a Language Dive?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Reread the "That Nest Is a Mess!" section of "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest."
  • Focus on this sentence:
    • "Many of those who live in the apartment building want the nest to be taken down."
  • Use the Language Dive Guide II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" and Chunk Chart II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" to guide students through a Language Dive of the sentence. Display the Sentence Strip Chunks II: "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest."
  • For students who may need additional support with oral language and processing: Allow ample wait time after asking questions during the Language Dive. (MME, MMAE)

B. Pair Share: Different Opinions from "What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest" (10 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group and offer students specific, positive feedback on their work matching determiners with noun pictures.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can research information about Pale Male using my notes from the text 'What's Best? The Debate about Pale Male's Nest.'"

  • Display page 3 of the Pale Male research notebook.
  • Remind students that in the last lesson they created individual notes to record information about one side of the debate about Pale Male's nest.
  • Tell students that today they will meet with a partner who researched and took notes on the opposite side of the debate. The partners will share and add new information about the other side of the debate to their individual notes.
  • Distribute the Pale Male research notebooks and move students into pre-determined pairs using a routine established in Module 3.
  • Post and review the following directions:
    1. Label yourselves A and B.
    2. Open your research notebook to page 3.
    3. Partner A shares the notes on page 3 of his or her research notebook: Pale Male: Student Notes.
    4. While partner A shares, partner B records notes in the blank column on his or her Pale Male: Student Notes.
    5. Switch roles and repeat Steps 3-4.
    6. Take time to make sure you have captured the necessary information in your student notes.
  • Answer clarifying questions.
  • Invite students to begin. Circulate as students share and offer guidance and support as necessary. Refer to the Pale Male research notebook (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • When 2 minutes remain, signal students to finish up their sharing and refocus whole group. Tell them to place their Pale Male research notebook in a quiet spot beside them.
  • Tell students they will use their student notes to help the class create a class set of notes during the next part of the lesson.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: (Verbal Writing Practice) Allow students to discuss and rehearse the shorter phrases they hear from their partners before writing. (MMAE)
  • For students who may need additional support with sustained effort: Provide index cards with responsibilities for each role (e.g., reading or writing) and invite students to switch cards when they switch roles. (MME)

C. Shared Writing: Pale Male: Class Notes (15 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Give students specific, positive feedback on sharing their side of the debate about Pale Male's nest and taking notes on both sides.
  • Tell students that they will now help to create a class set of notes about the debate about Pale Male's nest.
  • Display Pale Male: Class Notes and read the Unit 2 guiding question aloud:
    • "Why do people have different opinions about birds?"
  • Briefly review each column of the Pale Male: Class Notes.
    • Say: "The first column is where we will write reasons to support the opinion 'Leave the Nest Up.'"
    • Say: "The second column is where we will write reasons to support the opinion 'Take the Nest Down.'"
  • Direct students' attention back to page 3 of their Pale Male research notebook and remind them that during the last part of the lesson, they worked with a partner to make sure they captured reasons to support both opinions in their student notes.
  • Think-Pair-Share:

"What is one reason that supports the opinion to leave the nest up?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Tall buildings are good nesting places; birds need nests to protect their babies.)

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

"What is one reason that supports the opinion to take the nest down?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Bones, feathers, and bird poop fall and make the sidewalk messy; birdwatchers make the area crowded.)

  • As students share out, clarify and capture their thinking on the Pale Male: Class Notes. Refer to the Pale Male: Class Notes (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Once finished, read aloud the Pale Male: Class Notes.
  • Share that over the next several lessons, students will use these class notes to write opinion pieces supporting both opinions.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with working memory: (Providing Thinking Time) Provide time for students to go back to page 3 of their Pale Male research notebook to reread the reasons to support both opinions in their individual notes. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (10 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the Respectful Opinions anchor chart and review the definition of respect.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does respect have to do with sharing opinions?" (We need to treat others with care when sharing different opinions.)

Conversation Cue: "Can you give an example?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Remind students that when listening to differing opinions, there are many moments when we need to think about how to treat others with respect.
  • Review the headings of each row under the first column.
  • Point to the heading that says:
    • "Listening to others' opinions respectfully"
  • Say:

"Let's pretend I am listening to someone's opinion respectfully."

  • Ask:

"What might this look like?" (eye contact with the speaker; hands to myself; patiently waiting; calm face)

"What might this sound like?" (silent; responses of "hmmm")

Conversation Cue: "How does our discussion add to your understanding of respect? I'll give you time to think and discuss with a partner." (Responses will vary.)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the "Looks like" and "Sounds like" columns of the Respectful Opinions anchor chart. Refer to the Respectful Opinions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Invite two volunteers to model for the class how to listen to others' opinions respectfully.
  • Remind students to model what listening respectfully looks like and sounds like.
  • Use a checking for understanding technique (e.g., Thumb-O-Meter) for students to respond to the following:

"How well did our volunteers model listening with respect?"

"How do you feel about being able to listen to others' opinions respectfully?"

  • Thank the volunteers and tell students that they should continue to practice listening to others' opinions respectfully. In the next lesson, they will begin to think about how to respond to others' opinions respectfully.
  • For ELLs: (Using Anchor Charts) Reread the Respectful Opinions anchor chart once it has been completed.

Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.

Get updates about our new K-5 curriculum as new materials and tools debut.

Sign Up

Help us improve our curriculum.

Tell us what’s going well, share your concerns and feedback.

Terms of use. To learn more about EL Education, visit eleducation.org

Leave feedback