ELA G2:M4:U2:L1

Introducing Opinions and Reasons: Pollinators and the Dangers They Face

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

RL.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RI.2.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
RI.2.2: Identify the main topic of a multiparagraph text as well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
RI.2.8: Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.
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.2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Daily Learning Targets

I can begin to determine the author's opinion in A Place for Bats by listening to sections read aloud. (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.8)
I can discuss my opinion and reasons to support it with my classmates. (SL.2.1a, SL.2.6)

Ongoing Assessment

During Work Time A, listen for students to determine the author's opinion in the text A Place for Bats. (RI.2.1, RI.2.2, RI.2.8)
During Work Time B, observe as students match opinions with reasons from the text Hey, Little Ant. As students share their opinions in small groups, consider using the Speaking and Listening Checklist to measure progress toward SL.2.1a and SL.2.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Introducing Unit 2 Guiding Questions (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Research Reading: A Place for Bats (20 minutes) B. Exploring Opinions: Hey, Little Ant (30 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Building Vocabulary: Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (5 minutes)	Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: In this first lesson of Unit 2, students transition from studying pollinators in fictional texts back to researching real pollinators. Building on their knowledge from Module 3, students extend their study of pollinators from a fresh angle: pollinators face dangers and need people's protection. In Work Time A, students gain information about a new pollinator, bats, using an informational text, A Place for Bats. The pages of A Place for Bats are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Bats make our world a better place ..." should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly. In Work Time B, students are introduced to the idea of opinions and reasons (a central focus of this unit) through the playful literature text Hey, Little Ant. This story does not teach about pollinators; rather, it is used to show students two different perspectives on a topic with reasons that support these perspectives. Although the reasons in this text are not based on scientific evidence, use of this playful text scaffolds students as they connect an opinion with the reasons that support it and practice sharing their own opinion and supporting reasons. The pages of Hey, Little Ant are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Kid: Hey little ant, down in the crack ..." should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly. How this lesson builds on previous work: In Module 3, students explored informational texts to learn about how pollinators help people get the fruits, flowers, and vegetables they enjoy. In Module 4, Unit 1, students explored folktales and fables with pollinators as fictional characters. Now, in this unit, students return to informational texts to extend their knowledge of pollinators by learning about the dangers that they face and why people should protect them. Continue to use Goal 1-4 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation. Areas in which students may need additional support: Ensure students understand that the main purpose of Hey, Little Ant is to introduce them to the idea of opinions, rather than to build their knowledge of pollinators. When opinions are introduced in this lesson, students may initially equate an opinion with a preference. Rather than spending considerable time correcting this misconception, continue to teach and reinforce that a preference is when you like one thing more than you like something else, and may or may not be supported by reasons. An opinion, however, is what you think about something and should always be supported with evidence. Down the road: Work Time A introduces students to a new pollinator, bats. In Lessons 2-5, students will continue to use A Place for Bats to gather information about the author's opinion. Students begin a cycle of reading, taking notes, and writing an opinion that carries across Lessons 1-5 (regarding bats), and then again in Lessons 6-10 (regarding butterflies), which culminates with the Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1 (reading) in Lesson 6 and Part II (writing) in Lessons 8-10.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Introducing Unit 2 Guiding Questions (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Research Reading: A Place for Bats (20 minutes)

B. Exploring Opinions: Hey, Little Ant (30 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Building Vocabulary: Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

In this first lesson of Unit 2, students transition from studying pollinators in fictional texts back to researching real pollinators. Building on their knowledge from Module 3, students extend their study of pollinators from a fresh angle: pollinators face dangers and need people's protection.
In Work Time A, students gain information about a new pollinator, bats, using an informational text, A Place for Bats.
The pages of A Place for Bats are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Bats make our world a better place ..." should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly.
In Work Time B, students are introduced to the idea of opinions and reasons (a central focus of this unit) through the playful literature text Hey, Little Ant. This story does not teach about pollinators; rather, it is used to show students two different perspectives on a topic with reasons that support these perspectives. Although the reasons in this text are not based on scientific evidence, use of this playful text scaffolds students as they connect an opinion with the reasons that support it and practice sharing their own opinion and supporting reasons.
The pages of Hey, Little Ant are not numbered. For instructional purposes, the page that begins with "Kid: Hey little ant, down in the crack ..." should be considered page 1 and all pages thereafter numbered accordingly.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

In Module 3, students explored informational texts to learn about how pollinators help people get the fruits, flowers, and vegetables they enjoy. In Module 4, Unit 1, students explored folktales and fables with pollinators as fictional characters. Now, in this unit, students return to informational texts to extend their knowledge of pollinators by learning about the dangers that they face and why people should protect them.
Continue to use Goal 1-4 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

Ensure students understand that the main purpose of Hey, Little Ant is to introduce them to the idea of opinions, rather than to build their knowledge of pollinators.
When opinions are introduced in this lesson, students may initially equate an opinion with a preference. Rather than spending considerable time correcting this misconception, continue to teach and reinforce that a preference is when you like one thing more than you like something else, and may or may not be supported by reasons. An opinion, however, is what you think about something and should always be supported with evidence.

Down the road:

Work Time A introduces students to a new pollinator, bats. In Lessons 2-5, students will continue to use A Place for Bats to gather information about the author's opinion. Students begin a cycle of reading, taking notes, and writing an opinion that carries across Lessons 1-5 (regarding bats), and then again in Lessons 6-10 (regarding butterflies), which culminates with the Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1 (reading) in Lesson 6 and Part II (writing) in Lessons 8-10.

In Advance

Prepare Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards for the words dangers and protect.
Strategically pair students for small group in Work Time B by creating groups of five or six students with a diverse range of reading and oral processing skills.
Pre-distribute materials for Work Time B at student workspaces.
Post: Learning targets and all 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.
Work Time A: Show the bat image in an online format--for example, in a Google Doc. Consider showing additional bat images as time allows.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided by in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.A.1, 2.I.B.6, and 2.I.B.7

Important points in the lesson itself

The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to read and apply language for expressing and supporting an opinion.
ELLs may find it challenging to process the abundance of new concepts and vocabulary introduced in this lesson. In addition, as students become accustomed to using language to express their own opinions, they may find it abstract to shift to making inferences about others' opinions. Use role-plays and think-alouds to model thinking like others to determine their opinions.

Levels of support

For lighter support

During Work Time A, challenge students to evaluate each reason given for supporting whether or not to squash the ant. (Example: "I think this reason makes sense because _____.")

For heavier support

During Work Time A, work closely with a small group of students who need additional support reading and sorting the Opinions and Reasons sentence strips. Read the sentence strips aloud, if necessary, and think aloud with students. (Example: "Hmm...the other ants need the ant's help. Does that sound like a reason I should squish the ant? Let's think about this.")

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, support comprehension by activating prior knowledge. Consider a brief review of Unit 1 to highlight relevance and scaffold connections for students. Additionally, provide questions visually as well as verbally. For example, display questions on a chart or the board during discussions.
Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Recall the importance of supporting self-monitoring and executive function skills. In this lesson, facilitate student management of information and resources by allowing students to identify unknown words and offer scaffolds when reading A Place for Bats.
Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Throughout this unit, sustained engagement and effort is essential for student achievement. Recall that some students will benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance. Students who may need additional support with sustained effort and concentration are supported when these reminders are built into the learning environment.

Vocabulary

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

New:

dangers, protect, bat, opinion, reasons (L)

Materials

Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart (new; teacher-created; see supporting materials)
Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference)
Bat image (one to display)
A Place for Bats (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
Hey, Little Ant (one per group and one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
Opinions and Reasons T-chart (one per group and one for teacher modeling)
Opinions and Reasons sentence strips (one set per group and one for teacher modeling)
Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; two)
Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (begun in Module 3)

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.

https://curriculum.eleducation.org/

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Introducing Unit 2 Guiding Questions (5 minutes) Invite students to the whole group area. Say: "For the past few weeks, we've been thinking about pollinators by reading folktales and fables. Now, we get to read about pollinators again ... (pause dramatically) by reading informational texts about some things that put real pollinators in danger." Direct students' attention to the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart and read the first question aloud. Refer to Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary: "What dangers do pollinators face?" Define dangers (something that may harm or injure a person or animal). Remind students that they have been reading about fictional pollinator characters who face challenges, and now they will learn about real pollinators and the dangers they face. Assure students that although it may upset them or make them feel sad to know that real pollinators face dangers, there are things people can do to protect pollinators and important reasons why people should protect them. Read the second guiding question aloud: "Why should people protect pollinators?" Turn and Talk: "What do you think it means to protect pollinators?" (Responses will vary, but may include: keep pollinators safe; help pollinators stay alive.) Define protect (to defend or keep safe from danger or harm). Share that for the next few weeks, students will be reading informational texts about both the dangers that pollinators face and the reasons why people should protect them. And, of course, they will get to write about it! Ask: "Do you all agree with the opinion that we should do something to help pollinators if we can?" (Listen for students to nod their heads or say yes.) Say: "That's right. We care a lot about pollinators, based on everything we've learned. They are amazing and helpful! For the next few weeks, we are going to think a lot about the reasons to support the opinion that people should protect pollinators."	For ELLs: (Clarifying Vocabulary: Danger) Tell students that there are many ways they might hear the word danger, and that it might be a little confusing at first. Tell students that for this lesson, it is important to understand that the word means something that could hurt pollinators, and that with practice they will be able to understand all the different ways this word is used. Provide a few examples of using it correctly: Pollinators face many dangers. Pollinators are in danger. We must protect pollinators from danger or harm. For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Provide visual support with images for each keyword (e.g., dangers, protect, pollinators) on the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart. (MMR)

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Introducing Unit 2 Guiding Questions (5 minutes)

Invite students to the whole group area.
Say:

"For the past few weeks, we've been thinking about pollinators by reading folktales and fables. Now, we get to read about pollinators again ... (pause dramatically) by reading informational texts about some things that put real pollinators in danger."

Direct students' attention to the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart and read the first question aloud. Refer to Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary:

"What dangers do pollinators face?"

Define dangers (something that may harm or injure a person or animal).
Remind students that they have been reading about fictional pollinator characters who face challenges, and now they will learn about real pollinators and the dangers they face. Assure students that although it may upset them or make them feel sad to know that real pollinators face dangers, there are things people can do to protect pollinators and important reasons why people should protect them.
Read the second guiding question aloud:

"Why should people protect pollinators?"

Turn and Talk:

"What do you think it means to protect pollinators?" (Responses will vary, but may include: keep pollinators safe; help pollinators stay alive.)

Define protect (to defend or keep safe from danger or harm).
Share that for the next few weeks, students will be reading informational texts about both the dangers that pollinators face and the reasons why people should protect them. And, of course, they will get to write about it!
Ask:

"Do you all agree with the opinion that we should do something to help pollinators if we can?" (Listen for students to nod their heads or say yes.)

Say:

"That's right. We care a lot about pollinators, based on everything we've learned. They are amazing and helpful! For the next few weeks, we are going to think a lot about the reasons to support the opinion that people should protect pollinators."

For ELLs: (Clarifying Vocabulary: Danger) Tell students that there are many ways they might hear the word danger, and that it might be a little confusing at first. Tell students that for this lesson, it is important to understand that the word means something that could hurt pollinators, and that with practice they will be able to understand all the different ways this word is used. Provide a few examples of using it correctly:

Pollinators face many dangers.
Pollinators are in danger.
We must protect pollinators from danger or harm.

For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Provide visual support with images for each keyword (e.g., dangers, protect, pollinators) on the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart. (MMR)

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
*A. Research Reading: A Place for Bats* (20 minutes)** Say: "Now we will learn about a new pollinator we haven't studied yet. Look at this image and see if you recognize the animal in it." Display the bat image. Share that this is an image of a bat, a small animal that flies at night. Ask students what they know about bats and if they have any experiences with bats. Invite students to look closely at the image. Turn and Talk: "What do you notice in this image?" (The bat's face is in a flower; the bat has pollen on its nose.) With excitement, share that bats are actually pollinators. Explain that the bat in this image is pollinating a plant called a saguaro cactus flower. Introduce A Place for Bats by showing the book's cover and reading the title and author's name aloud. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud: "I can begin to determine the author's opinion in A Place for Bats by listening to sections read aloud." Define opinion (what you think about something). Share a few examples of opinions you could have: "I think dogs are better pets than cats." "I think students should play at recess before they eat lunch." "I think it is better to save your allowance than to spend it each week." Share that the author of this text, Melissa Stewart, has an opinion, or thinks something, about bats. Students will determine her opinion by listening as a section is read aloud. Display page 1, orienting students to structure of this text. Say: "In this text, there are words at the top of each page and boxes on the side with more information." Read pages 1-6 aloud. Turn and Talk: "So far, what is this text mostly about?" (why bats are in danger; how people can help bats) "What do you think the author's opinion is?" (Bats are in danger, and people should help protect them.) Conversation Cue: "Do you agree or disagree with what your partner said? Why?" (Responses will vary.) Confirm that the author's opinion in the text is that bats are in danger and that people should protect them. Say: "Tomorrow, we will read this text to gather more information about the author's opinion, as well as more information about the dangers that bats face. It might be challenging to determine this author's opinion in this text, and that's okay. Now we are going to explore another text with opinions in it that will help us learn more about opinions."	For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "If we work together / **to help these winged creatures of the night,** / there will always be a place / for bats." Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure: "What can we do if we work together?" (help winged creatures; help bats) these winged creatures: "What?" (animals that have wings; the author means bats; these tells us the author means something she has already talked about.) of the night: "From when?" (Bats come out at night.) Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask: "Now what do you think the sentence means?" "How does this sentence help you understand the author's opinion?" Practice: "If we work together to help these ______, there will always be a place for _______." (tiny insects; butterflies) "Can we divide this sentence into two or more sentences? How?" Before reading, provide white boards and dry-erase markers as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This will scaffold active listening. (MMR, MMAE)
*B. Exploring Opinions: Hey, Little Ant* (30 minutes) Introduce Hey, Little Ant** by showing the book's cover and reading the title aloud. Say: "In this text, there are two fictional characters who have different opinions. They are not pollinators, but learning about these fictional characters' opinions will help you when you form opinions about pollinators later." While still displaying the text, read pages 1-7 aloud. Say: "It seems like the little ant and the boy do not agree about something. They each have a different opinion." Review the definition of opinion (what you think about something). Turn and Talk: "What do the little ant and the boy have a different opinion about?" (whether or not to squish the ant) Confirm that the two characters do not agree about whether or not it is okay to squish the little ant. Say: "The two characters each have a different opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish the ant. They also have reasons to support their own opinion." Define reasons (why you have your opinion; what makes you think so). Invite students to listen closely to the reasons that each character gives to support his own opinion. Continue reading pages 8-21 aloud. Turn and Talk: "What is the ant's opinion about being squished?" (He doesn't think he should get squished.) "What is the boy's opinion about squishing the ant?" (He thinks he should squish the little ant.) Reread page 21 aloud. With excitement, share that the author of the text is inviting the reader to form an opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish the little ant. Invite students to think quietly about the following question: "Is it okay to squish an ant?" Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud: "I can discuss my opinion and reasons to support it with my classmates." Share that now, students will match the two opinions in the text with the reasons that support them, and then share their own opinion about the question. Display the Opinions and Reasons T-chart and Opinions and Reasons sentence strips and review the following directions: Work with your small group to match each reason with the opinion it supports by putting them into the correct opinion column. Model thinking aloud to match a reason and opinion. Say: "This reason sentence strip says 'because the ant takes food to its family.' I think this reason matches with the opinion 'You should NOT squish an ant' because I remember in the book that the ant said he doesn't want to be squished because he needs to take food to his family." Place the reason sentence strip under the correct opinion column. Move students into pre-determined small groups with copies of the Opinions and Reasons T-chart, Opinions and Reasons sentence strips, and Hey, Little Ant, and invite students to begin matching the opinions and reasons. As students work, circulate and review the directions as needed. Encourage small groups to refer to the text. After 5-7 minutes or when all small groups have completed the sorting activity, refocus whole group. Tell students they will now share their own opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish an ant, and use a reason from the text to support it. Model sharing an opinion, referring to the Opinions and Reasons sentence strips. (Example: "My opinion is that you should squash an ant ... because ants take people's picnic food.") Share that students will likely have different opinions about this topic, so it will be important to show respect toward others while listening to other students share. Encourage students to choose the opinion they believe is best, even if it might be different from a friend's opinion. As students share, circulate and remodel sharing an opinion as needed. After 4-5 minutes or when all group members have shared, collect each group's materials and transition students back to the whole group area.	For ELLs: (Role-Playing) While reading Hey, Little Ant, briefly role-play a scene from the book to emphasize the two characters' different opinions. Ask questions about the role-play to practice using the vocabulary introduced in the lesson. Examples: "What was the ant's opinion?" "What is one of his reasons for his opinion?" For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Opinions and Reasons: Connecting Ideas) Every few pages, invite students to turn to an elbow partner and describe the little ant's and the boy's opinions by saying, "The little ant/boy thinks _________ because ________." (MMR) For students who may need additional support with planning and strategy development: Pair students with peers who can model think-alouds of the process of matching opinion and reason. (MMAE, MME)

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Research Reading: A Place for Bats (20 minutes)

Say:

"Now we will learn about a new pollinator we haven't studied yet. Look at this image and see if you recognize the animal in it."

Display the bat image.
Share that this is an image of a bat, a small animal that flies at night.
Ask students what they know about bats and if they have any experiences with bats.
Invite students to look closely at the image.
Turn and Talk:

"What do you notice in this image?" (The bat's face is in a flower; the bat has pollen on its nose.)

With excitement, share that bats are actually pollinators. Explain that the bat in this image is pollinating a plant called a saguaro cactus flower.
Introduce A Place for Bats by showing the book's cover and reading the title and author's name aloud.
Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can begin to determine the author's opinion in A Place for Bats by listening to sections read aloud."

Define opinion (what you think about something).
Share a few examples of opinions you could have:

"I think dogs are better pets than cats."
"I think students should play at recess before they eat lunch."
"I think it is better to save your allowance than to spend it each week."

Share that the author of this text, Melissa Stewart, has an opinion, or thinks something, about bats. Students will determine her opinion by listening as a section is read aloud.
Display page 1, orienting students to structure of this text. Say:

"In this text, there are words at the top of each page and boxes on the side with more information."

Read pages 1-6 aloud.
Turn and Talk:

"So far, what is this text mostly about?" (why bats are in danger; how people can help bats)

"What do you think the author's opinion is?" (Bats are in danger, and people should help protect them.)

Conversation Cue: "Do you agree or disagree with what your partner said? Why?" (Responses will vary.)

Confirm that the author's opinion in the text is that bats are in danger and that people should protect them.
Say:

"Tomorrow, we will read this text to gather more information about the author's opinion, as well as more information about the dangers that bats face. It might be challenging to determine this author's opinion in this text, and that's okay. Now we are going to explore another text with opinions in it that will help us learn more about opinions."

For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "If we work together / to help these winged creatures of the night, / there will always be a place / for bats."

Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:

"What can we do if we work together?" (help winged creatures; help bats)
these winged creatures: "What?" (animals that have wings; the author means bats; these tells us the author means something she has already talked about.)
of the night: "From when?" (Bats come out at night.)

Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask:

"Now what do you think the sentence means?"

"How does this sentence help you understand the author's opinion?"

Practice: "If we work together to help these ______, there will always be a place for _______." (tiny insects; butterflies)

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

Before reading, provide white boards and dry-erase markers as an option for students to record (in drawing or writing) their ideas. This will scaffold active listening. (MMR, MMAE)

B. Exploring Opinions: Hey, Little Ant (30 minutes)

Introduce Hey, Little Ant by showing the book's cover and reading the title aloud.
Say:

"In this text, there are two fictional characters who have different opinions. They are not pollinators, but learning about these fictional characters' opinions will help you when you form opinions about pollinators later."

While still displaying the text, read pages 1-7 aloud.
Say:

"It seems like the little ant and the boy do not agree about something. They each have a different opinion."

Review the definition of opinion (what you think about something).
Turn and Talk:

"What do the little ant and the boy have a different opinion about?" (whether or not to squish the ant)

Confirm that the two characters do not agree about whether or not it is okay to squish the little ant. Say:

"The two characters each have a different opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish the ant. They also have reasons to support their own opinion."

Define reasons (why you have your opinion; what makes you think so).
Invite students to listen closely to the reasons that each character gives to support his own opinion.
Continue reading pages 8-21 aloud.
Turn and Talk:

"What is the ant's opinion about being squished?" (He doesn't think he should get squished.)

"What is the boy's opinion about squishing the ant?" (He thinks he should squish the little ant.)

Reread page 21 aloud.
With excitement, share that the author of the text is inviting the reader to form an opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish the little ant.
Invite students to think quietly about the following question:

"Is it okay to squish an ant?"

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

"I can discuss my opinion and reasons to support it with my classmates."

Share that now, students will match the two opinions in the text with the reasons that support them, and then share their own opinion about the question.
Display the Opinions and Reasons T-chart and Opinions and Reasons sentence strips and review the following directions:

Work with your small group to match each reason with the opinion it supports by putting them into the correct opinion column.
Model thinking aloud to match a reason and opinion. Say: "This reason sentence strip says 'because the ant takes food to its family.' I think this reason matches with the opinion 'You should NOT squish an ant' because I remember in the book that the ant said he doesn't want to be squished because he needs to take food to his family."
Place the reason sentence strip under the correct opinion column.

Move students into pre-determined small groups with copies of the Opinions and Reasons T-chart, Opinions and Reasons sentence strips, and Hey, Little Ant, and invite students to begin matching the opinions and reasons.
As students work, circulate and review the directions as needed. Encourage small groups to refer to the text.
After 5-7 minutes or when all small groups have completed the sorting activity, refocus whole group.
Tell students they will now share their own opinion about whether or not it is okay to squish an ant, and use a reason from the text to support it.
Model sharing an opinion, referring to the Opinions and Reasons sentence strips. (Example: "My opinion is that you should squash an ant ... because ants take people's picnic food.")
Share that students will likely have different opinions about this topic, so it will be important to show respect toward others while listening to other students share. Encourage students to choose the opinion they believe is best, even if it might be different from a friend's opinion.
As students share, circulate and remodel sharing an opinion as needed.
After 4-5 minutes or when all group members have shared, collect each group's materials and transition students back to the whole group area.

For ELLs: (Role-Playing) While reading Hey, Little Ant, briefly role-play a scene from the book to emphasize the two characters' different opinions. Ask questions about the role-play to practice using the vocabulary introduced in the lesson. Examples:

"What was the ant's opinion?"
"What is one of his reasons for his opinion?"

For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Opinions and Reasons: Connecting Ideas) Every few pages, invite students to turn to an elbow partner and describe the little ant's and the boy's opinions by saying, "The little ant/boy thinks _________ because ________." (MMR)
For students who may need additional support with planning and strategy development: Pair students with peers who can model think-alouds of the process of matching opinion and reason. (MMAE, MME)

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Building Vocabulary: Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (5 minutes) Refocus students whole group. Briefly review the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart: "What dangers do pollinators face?" "Why should people protect pollinators?" Underline the words danger and protect and share that these are two important words to know in order to answer the guiding questions. Show students the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards for dangers (things that may harm or injure a person or animal) and protect (to keep safe from danger or harm) and follow the same process established in Modules 1-3: Provide the words' definition, clap out their syllables, use them in a sentence, and place the Word Wall card and picture for them on the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall. Invite students to flap their wings like a bat if they are excited to continue learning about this new pollinator tomorrow!	For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to restate the guiding questions in their own words. (MMR, MME)

Closing

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Building Vocabulary: Plants and Pollinators Word Wall (5 minutes)

Refocus students whole group.
Briefly review the Unit 2 Guiding Questions anchor chart:

"What dangers do pollinators face?"
"Why should people protect pollinators?"

Underline the words danger and protect and share that these are two important words to know in order to answer the guiding questions.
Show students the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall cards for dangers (things that may harm or injure a person or animal) and protect (to keep safe from danger or harm) and follow the same process established in Modules 1-3: Provide the words' definition, clap out their syllables, use them in a sentence, and place the Word Wall card and picture for them on the Plants and Pollinators Word Wall.
Invite students to flap their wings like a bat if they are excited to continue learning about this new pollinator tomorrow!

For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Invite students to restate the guiding questions in their own words. (MMR, MME)

EL Education Curriculum

ELA G2:M4:U2:L1

Introducing Opinions and Reasons: Pollinators and the Dangers They Face

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Daily Learning Targets

Ongoing Assessment

Agenda

In Advance

Tech and Multimedia

Supporting English Language Learners

Universal Design for Learning

Vocabulary

Materials

Assessment

Opening

Work Time

Closing & Assessments

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