Unit 3 Assessment: Speaking and Listening: Sharing What We Learned from Our Research | EL Education Curriculum

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Unit 3 Assessment: Speaking and Listening: Sharing What We Learned from Our Research

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • W.2.2: Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
  • W.2.8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
  • SL.2.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
  • SL.2.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
  • SL.2.1b: Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.
  • SL.2.1c: Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about the topics and texts under discussion.
  • SL.2.3: Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can respond to others' ideas during a collaborative conversation about our research school. (SL.2.1, SL.2.1a, SL.2.1b, SL.2.1c, SL.2.3, W.2.8)
  • I can analyze a model of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book. (W.2.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During Work Time A, use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to monitor students' progress toward SL.2.1b and SL.2.1c (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Engaging the Learner: Reading a Letter from a Kindergarten Teacher (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Unit 3 Assessment: Engaging in a Collaborative Conversation Using My Notes (25 minutes)

B. Generating Criteria for Our Performance Task: "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book (10 minutes)

C. Analyzing a Model: Important Book Sorting Activity (15 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • This lesson begins with a letter from a kindergarten teacher, reminding students that kindergarteners are excited to come visit their classroom and see what they have learned about schools. This gives students a purpose for writing their "The Most Important Thing about Schools" books (W.2.2). Consider personalizing the letter to include classroom or teacher names from your own school or inviting a kindergarten teacher to write a letter with their class.
  • In Work Time A, students complete their Unit 3 assessment by participating in the Collaborative Conversations protocol. This conversation follows the same pattern as those students participated in during Lessons 1-4. Although this is a formal assessment of speaking and listening skills, students should experience the lesson as routine. Do not overemphasize the assessment; instead, use this as an opportunity to continue to gather meaningful data on students using the Speaking and Listening Checklist (see Assessment Overview and Resources). (SL.2.1a, SL.2.1b, SL.2.1c)
  • In Work Time B, students are introduced to the performance task. Based on the research they have done about their school, students each produce an informational book: "The Most Important Thing about Schools." In this book, students compare and contrast their own school with the school they researched from Off to Class. Students first analyze a model and identify the parts of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book. They then work with a partner in a sorting activity and sort different parts of the model correctly. This activity helps students understand the different components of the book in an interactive way. To inspire their writing, students use The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown. (W.2.2)

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lessons 1-3, students spent time learning about three different schools in Off to Class. In Lesson 4, they worked in research teams to conduct small group research and learn more about one of the three schools. In this lesson, they are introduced to the format in which they will communicate their learning to others: "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book.
  • In Unit 2, students also engaged in informative writing through the creation of their Problem and Solution informative paragraphs. Students will build on this knowledge as they are introduced to another kind of informational writing that asks students to compare and contrast information.
  • In Lesson 4, students began an individual Comparing and Contrasting Research note-catcher. Students will use the information from these notes to produce their performance task.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • In Work Time A, students participate in the Collaborative Conversations protocol with their research school team for the Unit 3 assessment. Because this is a different group of students from previous collaborative conversations, students may feel nervous about sharing or joining in the conversation. Offer students prompts to encourage them to participate or ask them to build on the conversation by whispering their response to you individually.
  • In Work Time B, students participate in a sorting activity where they line up sections of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book: Teacher Model with its part in an informational paragraph (focus statement, conclusion, etc.). To help students sort the sections of the book, consider adding the description or "job" to the strips with the parts of the informational paragraph. For students who may need extra support, consider color-coding the sentence strips in the way informational paragraphs have been color-coded previously in the module (green for the focus statement, yellow for the differences, blue for the similarities, and green for the conclusion).
  • Continue to use Goal 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Down the road:

  • In Lessons 6-9, students will work toward completing different parts of their "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book: the focus statement, information about differences, information about similarities, and the conclusion. Because students will be presenting their performance tasks to an external audience, they will also have time to revise, edit, and publish their writing.
  • In Lesson 10, students will participate in a Celebration of Learning with their kindergarten friends. During the celebration, they will present their "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book. Prepare for this celebration by inviting a kindergarten class from your school.
  • During the Celebration of Learning in Lesson 10, students also will present their Readers Theater plays from Unit 2. They practice their plays in Lesson 9 of this unit. If you want students to have additional practice, you may want to find other parts of your day to give students time to rehearse.

In Advance

  • Review the Directions for Important Book Sorting Activity so you understand what will be expected of students (see supporting materials).
  • Prepare:
    • "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book: Teacher Model by adding words to each page of the model, and add drawings that match the text on each page (see supporting materials).
    • Important Book Parts anchor chart (see supporting materials)
    • Prepare the materials for the Important Book Sorting Activity: One envelope per pair. Each envelope should contain sorting categories and sentence strips.
    • Directions for Important Book Sorting Activity.
  • Pre-determine groups of two or three students for Work Time C.
  • Review the Collaborative Conversations and Think-Pair-Share protocols. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Post: Learning targets and Collaborative Conversations protocol anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

Consider using an interactive whiteboard or document camera to display lesson materials.

  • Opening A: Letter from a kindergarten teacher could be an email.
  • Work Time A: Record students as they participate in the Collaborative Conversation protocol to listen to later to discuss strengths and what they could improve on, or to use as models for the group. Most devices (cell phones, tablets, laptop computers) come equipped with free video and audio recording apps or software.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.A.1, 2.I.A.3, 2.I.B.5, and 2.I.C.10

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by inviting them to complete assessment tasks similar to the classroom activities in Lessons 1-4. Students use the same prompts they have practiced in their collaborative conversations in prior lessons. After the assessment, students are offered a strong contextual foundation for completing their performance task. They will read a mentor text and analyze a model of the text they will be expected to create.
  • The Unit 3 assessment may be challenging for ELLs. Be aware that some beginning proficiency students and newcomers may not be able to speak or may feel uncomfortable using English to the extent required for participating in the assessment. Encourage students to use the nonverbal signals established in prior lessons so that they can be engaged in the activity.
  • ELLs may continue to find it challenging to fully comprehend paragraph structure and to be able to identify the "job of each part." Organizing informational writing requires students to not only comprehend the language itself, but also employ metalinguistic skills. If some students have trouble with the sorting activity, ensure they understand that the sentences are organized in a sequence, even if they do not understand exactly why. Use color-coding and modeling to support this concept.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • Reread "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book: Teacher Model and think aloud to reveal the purpose of each sentence. (Example: "Hmmm ... I wonder what this book is about. 'Schools around the world may be different, and they may be similar.' Oh, so this sentence gave me an idea of what I might learn.")

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time C, create group roles as students organize the sentence strip. This will provide students with a framework for collaborating on the task so that all students can use their strengths to accomplish the goal. Possible roles: reader, sorter, checker, translator, thinker, observer.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): During the Opening, students will read a letter from a kindergarten teacher. To support comprehension, customize the display of the text by placing it on a document camera or providing an enlarged copy of the text. This will help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page as you read.
  • Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): During Work Time A, students discuss school similarities and differences in conversation groups. The Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet will support students in engaging in focused listening and speaking, but some students may need support with learning to use this checklist as a tool. Circulate and listen in for students who may need additional support. Guide information processing by providing specific prompts for students to systematically use the Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): During Work Time B, students think about what the book about schools should focus on. To increase engagement and optimize authenticity, connect the purpose of the writing project to the questions kindergarteners shared in their letter.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • analyze, reflection statement (L)
  • hollow (T)

Review:

  • focus statement, information conclusion (L)
  • different, similar (W)

Materials

  • Letter from a kindergarten teacher (one to display)
  • Comparing and Contrasting Research note-catcher (from Lesson 4; one per student)
  • Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet (from Lesson 3; new copies; one per student)
  • Collaborative Conversations Protocol anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • The Important Book (one to display)
  • "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book: Teacher Model (one to display; see Performance Task)
  • Important Book Parts anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see supporting materials)
  • Directions for Important Book Sorting Activity (one to display)
  • Envelope with materials for Important Book Sorting Activity (one per group and one for teacher modeling)
  • Important Book Sorting Activity (answers, 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.

Download this Lesson’s Assessment

Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Engaging the Learner: Reading a Letter from a Kindergarten Teacher (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group.
  • With excitement, open the letter from a kindergarten teacher.
  • Tell students you have been talking to the kindergarten teachers about all the wonderful learning they have been doing, and one teacher has written them a letter.
  • Display the letter and read it aloud fluently, with expression, and without interruption.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner and choose one of the questions in the letter:

"What do you know now to help answer the question?" (Answers will vary, based on chosen question.)

  • Tell students they are about to revisit all they have learned about their researched schools.
  • For ELLs: Ask about this phrase from the letter: can't wait. Examples:
    • "Why did the teacher say she can't wait?" (She wants to know the answers to the question soon.)
    • "If the teacher can't wait, how do you think she feels about the things we have learned?" (She is excited. She is very interested.)
    • "Is there something you can't wait to do? What is it?" (I can't wait to _____.)
  • After opening the letter, customize the display of the text by placing it on a document camera or providing an enlarged copy of the text to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Unit 3 Assessment: Engaging in a Collaborative Conversation Using My Notes (25 minutes)

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

"I can respond to others' ideas during a collaborative conversation about our research school."

  • Remind students that they have been practicing collaborative conversations in the past few lessons.
  • Invite students to turn and talk with an elbow partner:

"What is one thing you need to remember to do during the Collaborative Conversations protocol?" (listen, add new details, use a sentence starter, ask others to clarify)

  • Tell students that in order to prepare for their conversation, they will return to their workspaces and choose one similarity and one difference between their research school and their own school that they would like to share with their group.
  • Transition students to their workspaces and refocus whole group.
  • Model reading aloud the details captured under the differences section of a student's Comparing and Contrasting Research note-catcher.
  • Think aloud: "The detail about what my research school is made out of is an interesting fact. I'll want to share that. I'll put a star next to that detail so I can remember to share it."
  • Invite students to read through the differences on their note-catchers and to put a check mark next to one they would like to share.
  • Repeat the process with the similarities section on the note-catcher.
  • Distribute the Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet.
  • Inform students that they will be using their note-catchers and this tracking sheet during the collaborative conversations with their expert groups.
  • Remind students that they worked with their research school team to research their school in Lesson 4.
  • Indicate where in the room each research school team will meet to have a conversation.
  • Invite students to bring their Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet and their Comparing and Contrasting Research note-catcher, move to their designated area of the room, and sit in a circle with their group.
  • Once students are sitting in a circle facing their group members, split each group into two smaller groups of four or five students.
  • Remind students that they used the Collaborative Conversations protocol in Lessons 1-4, and review as necessary using the Collaborative Conversations protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
  • Guide students through the protocol using this question:

"What are the differences and similarities from the school you researched and our own school?"

  • Circulate to collect data on students who have not yet demonstrated mastery, using the Speaking and Listening Checklist. Prompt students with missing data to share with their group or provide an additional detail for them to respond to.
  • Refocus whole group.
  • Encourage students to give a group member a hand shake or high-five to celebrate their learning.
  • For ELLs: Ask students to recall and describe one way that they worked toward the learning targets in the past four lessons. (MME)
  • For ELLs: Ensure students clearly understand all assessment instructions. Rephrase directions for them. Monitor during the assessment to see that students understand what is expected of them as they participate. Support students who may be confused and make sure they understand the directions. (MMR)
  • As students discuss similarities in conversation groups, circulate and listen in for students who may need additional support using the Sentence Starters: Day 3 tracking sheet as a tool. Guide information processing by providing specific prompts for students to systematically use the tracking sheet. (MMAE)

B. Generating Criteria for Our Performance Task: "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book (10 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on all the information they have learned about a specific school from Off to Class. (Example: "You have worked hard to learn about the similarities and differences between our school and a school from Off to Class.")
  • Say: "I know the kindergarteners are excited to come and hear about all the things that we have learned, but they will not be able understand the notes we have taken. We will have to find a better way to communicate our learning to them."
  • Display The Important Book and tell students that sometimes books that authors have written can give us ideas for the kind of books we can write. Tell students that you think this book might give us some ideas for how we can communicate what we learned to the kindergarteners in our school.
  • Display page 2 of The Important Book. Read the page aloud to students. If necessary, tell students that hollow means something that has empty space.
  • Tell students that you are going to read the page again. This time, they should think about what this author wanted us to know.
  • While still displaying the text, read page 2 again.
  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share with an elbow partner:

"What did the author want us to know?" (She wanted us to know that the most important thing about spoons is that you eat with them. She wanted us to know that a spoon is hollow and that it is like a shovel. She wanted us to know that you put it in your mouth.)

  • Say:

"I noticed that the author gave us information about a spoon, and she also told us what was most important about a spoon to her."

"This made me think about how much we've been learning about schools, and it gave me an idea for a book we could write about schools."

  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share with an elbow partner:
  • "What could our book about schools be about?" (Responses will vary.)
  • Tell students that they could just write about the school they have learned the most about, but they also have spent time comparing and contrasting this school to our school.
  • Say: "So, what if we wrote a 'Most Important Thing about Schools' book that was about the school you have learned about and our school?"
  • Tell students that you have done this already with the school you have been learning a lot about (the rainforest school), and you'd like to show it to them.
  • Invite students to do a drumroll on their laps as you reveal "The Most Important Thing about Schools" Book: Teacher Model.
  • While displaying the model, read it aloud.
  • Invite students to give a round of applause.
  • Invite students to form a triad with two other students sitting near them. Invite each group to Think-Triad-Share, providing adequate time for each partner to think, repeat the question, and share his or her response:

"Imagine you are a kindergartener who hasn't spent time learning about this topic. What would you learn from reading 'The Most Important Thing about Schools' book that I wrote?" (I would learn what is similar and different about the two schools. I would learn that the school in Xixuau has 19 children, and our school has 300 children. I would learn that the students in the rainforest school use the internet to learn, just like we do sometimes.)

  • If productive, cue students to expand the conversation by giving an example:

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

  • Confirm with students that after hearing this book, a kindergartener would learn about the ways our school and the rainforest school are similar and different.
  • Invite students to whisper a response into their hand and ask:

"When a writer is teaching a topic to someone, what kind of writing is that called?" (informative writing)

  • Explain to students that that there are different kinds of informative writing. In Unit 2, they wrote informative paragraphs about problems and solutions. Tell students that "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book is a different kind of informative writing; it is the kind of informative writing that compares and contrasts two different topics. In this case, it is comparing and contrasting our school and the rainforest school.
  • For ELLs: Discuss the meaning and syntax of the superlative most. Examples:
    • "If the most important thing about spoons is that you eat with them, what does that mean?" (There is nothing else more important).
    • "Notice the word the before most. When you see most, you will usually see the before it. Can you think of some other sentences with the most?" (Dodge ball is the most fun game.) (MMR)
  • Optimize authenticity as students think about what the book about schools should focus on by referring to the questions kindergarteners shared in their letter during the Opening. (MME)

C. Analyzing a Model: Important Book Sorting Activity (15 minutes)

  • Invite students to give you a thumbs-up if they want to write "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book using the school they have researched and our school.
  • Say:

"Then, just as we've done with other writing pieces, we should learn from this model!"

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

"I can analyze a model of 'The Most Important Thing about Schools' book."

  • Invite students to point to the verb in the target, or what they will be doing.
  • Tell students that analyze means to examine something, or to look at something closely.
  • Direct students' attention to the Important Book Parts anchor chart and focus them on the left-hand column as you read it aloud.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"Do you notice anything familiar about this chart?" (It has some of the same parts as our Problem and Solution informational paragraphs.)

  • Explain that because this is also informative writing, there are some parts that are similar, such as having a focus statement, information about the topic, and a conclusion. Explain that because this is a different kind of informative writing, the job that each part does might be a bit different.
  • Focus students on the right-hand column titled "Job of Each Part" and read it aloud.
  • Tell students that this conclusion reminds the reader of the topic and includes a reflection statement. Tell students that a reflection statement is a sentence that tells the reader what you think about a topic. In this case, it's what the writer thinks about why schools are important.
  • Tell students that in order to learn more about the job of each part of our "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book, they are going to do a sorting activity in groups of two or three.
  • Display the Directions for Important Book Sorting Activity and read them aloud.
  • Invite students to turn and talk to an elbow partner:

"Explain the directions in your own words." (We need to read through the sentence strips and then decide which category they belong in. We should share what we are thinking with one another.)

  • Show students the envelope with materials for Important Book Sorting Activity. Review the materials inside the envelope and model the steps students will take:
  1. Place the words Focus Statement, Differences, Similarities, and Conclusion in a row, leaving some space to put strips underneath.
  2. Read aloud one strip at a time.
  3. With your group, decide where the strip goes by asking, "Is this a focus statement? Does it give me information about the differences? Does it give information about the similarities? Is this the conclusion?"
  4. Place the strip under the correct part.
  • If necessary, read through one more strip with students and invite them to point to which part of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book it belongs under.
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What could you do if you don't agree with your group or if your group isn't sure about where a strip should go?" (Leave it to the side and come back to it. Ask a group that is near us what they think and why.)

  • If productive, cue students to listen carefully and seek to understand:

"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Move students into pre-determined groups and show them where in the room they will be working. Give an envelope to each group as you release them to work.
  • Circulate to support students as they complete the sorting activity with their group. If students are confused, encourage them to refer to the Important Book Parts anchor chart. Prompt them with questions such as:

"Is this introducing the reader to the topic?"

"Is this telling the reader how the schools are the same or different?"

  • After 10 minutes, refocus whole group.
  • Display the sorting categories of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book: Focus Statement, Differences, Similarities, and Conclusion.
  • Read through the different strips, and invite different groups to come up and explain where they put their strip and why. Refer to the Important Book Sorting Activity (answers, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • For ELLs: Create groups with varying levels of language proficiency. The students with greater language proficiency can serve as models in the group, initiating discussions and providing implicit sentence frames. If possible, consider grouping students who speak the same home language together to help one another interpret and comprehend the activity in their home languages. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs: During the sorting activity, display a color-coded Important Book Parts anchor chart. Color-code the sentence strips according to the same system. Encourage students to use the colors as clues if they get stuck. (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

  • Give students specific, positive feedback on how they analyzed the parts of "The Most Important Thing about Schools" book. (Example: "You worked hard to sort the pieces of 'The Most Important Thing about Schools' book, and now you are ready to write your own books!")
  • Direct students' attention to the learning targets and reread the second one aloud target:

"I can analyze a model of 'The Most Important Thing about Schools' book."

  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share with their group:

"What is one thing you learned about the parts of 'The Most Important Thing about Schools' book?" (It is about our own school and the school we have researched. It has a focus statement. It is about what is similar and what is different about our school and the school we researched.)

  • Tell students that they will get to work on creating their own books tomorrow.
  • For ELLs: Remind students that they discussed the phrase can't wait. Ask students what they can't wait to do when they make their books. Example:

"Are you excited? What is something you can't wait to do as you write your books?" (I can't wait to color.) (MMR)

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