Launching the Performance Task: Seed Packet Writing and Butterfly Drawing | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G2:M4:U3:L2

Launching the Performance Task: Seed Packet Writing and Butterfly Drawing

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson: 

  • W.2.1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, 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 discussio
  • SL.2.1b: Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.
  • SL.2.6: Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification. 
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can write reasons to support the opinion that people should plant wildflower seeds to help butterflies. (W.2.1, W.2.8)
  • I can analyze a model and discuss implications for drafting my artwork. (SL.2.1a, SL.2.1b)
  • I can share a reflection on my learning with others. (W.2.8, SL.2.1a, SL.2.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • After Work Time A, review copies of the wildflower seed packet writing piece to ensure students have drafted two supporting reasons and copied the call to action. (W.2.1, W.2.8)
  • During the Closing, listen for students to reflect on the first guiding question—“How can I take action to help butterflies?”—by sharing how they took action in today’s lesson. (SL.2.1a, SL.2.1b, and SL.2.6)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing the Performance Task and Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Performance Task Writing: Wildflower Seed Packet Writing Piece (30 minutes)

B. Scientific Drawing: First Draft of Butterfly Drawing (20 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students begin work on two key components of their performance task (wildflower seed packet): a butterfly drawing and an opinion writing piece. Students complete the first draft of the butterfly drawing with a focus on drawing shapes accurately. Building on their work with scientific drawings from Module 3, students begin the process of creating multiple drafts. Through the process of critique and revision (beginning in Lesson 3), students will help one another experience success in creating a high-quality product that can be shared at the Celebration of Learning in Lessons 12 and 13.
  • During Work Time A, students build upon their paragraph writing skills, as well as their content knowledge about butterflies, to write supporting reasons to answer the question "Why should we help butterflies?" The writing for this component of the performance task concludes with a call to action for readers to plant the wildflower seeds to help butterflies survive and grow.
  • The writing tasks in this unit are varied to include instructions for planting wildflower seeds, opinion writing about why people should help butterflies, and daily note-taking for written reflection. However, much of the writing is completed as shared writing or informal independent writing intended to support students' ability to speak about their work and learning and is not formally assessed for growth toward writing standards.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

  • In Lesson 1, students were introduced to the performance task: creating a wildflower seed packet. In this lesson, students begin the writing and drawing components of this task.
  • During Work Time B, students apply the scientific drawing skills they learned when drawing plants and pollinators during Module 3.
  • In Lesson 1, students were introduced to Unit 3's first guiding question, "How can I take action to help butterflies?" In the Closing, students reflect on how they took action to help butterflies. There is a continued focus on metacognition and students' awareness of their strengths and growth in skills used to complete their work.
  • Continue to use Goal 1-4 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • During Unit 2, students learned to write multi-paragraph opinion pieces based on their knowledge of paragraph structure. Some students may have difficulty with the shift to a brief, more informal piece of writing. Consider spending additional time helping students understand the purpose and constraints of the writing task: to help readers understand why they should plant wildflower seeds while constrained by the small size of a seed packet. Consider working with a small group to examine additional seed packets or other short pieces of writing that include a call to action.

Down the road:

  • The final performance task product will measure 8.5" tall by 5.5" wide and have four components: a title and butterfly drawing (on the front), and wildflower seed planting instructions and a typed opinion piece that answers the question "Why should we help butterflies?" (on the back). Students work on all four components of the performance task across Lessons 2-7 and assemble the final product during Lesson 8.
  • During Lesson 3, students will give and receive feedback on the first draft of their butterfly drawings before revising for a higher level of quality.
  • Student writing from Work Time A will be typed in Lessons 5, 6, and 7, so collect students' work after Work Time A in this lesson. 

In Advance

  • If possible, find and use a photograph of a regional butterfly for students' drawings in Work Time B. Refer to Technology and Multimedia for information about sources of local butterfly images.
  • Review scientific drawing lessons from Module 3, Unit 2, Lessons 5-9 to refamiliarize yourself with the skills and techniques used.
  • Pre-distribute materials for Work Times A and 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 B: Consider finding a photograph of a regional butterfly for students to draw using this website.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 2.I.A.1 and 2.I.B.8.

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to notice and explicitly discuss the difference between formal and informal uses of English.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to understand the difference between writing informational paragraphs and the more concise writing they do in Work Time A for their seed packets. Display an informational paragraph and the model wildflower seed packet writing piece side by side to compare and contrast them.

Levels of support

For lighter support

  • During Work Time A, when students orally rehearse their reasons to protect butterflies, remind students to use complete sentences; tell them their sentences must first name butterflies and next say something about what they do. Encourage students to raise a finger when they have shared each part of the sentence. When they have two fingers up, they know they have shared a complete sentence.

For heavier support

  • During Work Time A, reduce the volume of work by providing students one of the two reasons to protect butterflies.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to embed support for unfamiliar vocabulary by providing explanation and visual examples. This will help students make connections and support comprehension.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support strategy during independent writing by modeling how to physically touch the words/spaces on the sentence frame and draw lines for additional words you intend to write. This helps students recall their original ideas later in the writing process.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to foster collaboration and community by providing prompts that guide students in knowing when and how to ask classmates or teachers for help.

Vocabulary

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

New:

  • call to action, blind, contour, reflection (L)

Review:

  • criteria, accurate, reflect (L)

Materials

  • Wildflower Seed Packet: Bee Model (from Lesson 1; one to display)
  • Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist (one per student and one to display)
  • Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
  • Wildflower seed packet writing piece (one per student)
  • Wildflower seed packet writing piece (example, for teacher reference)
  • Dangers That Butterflies Face and Reasons Butterflies Are Important: Class Notes (from Unit 2, Lesson 6; one to display)
  • Scientific Drawing anchor chart (begun in Module 3)
  • Monarch butterfly photograph (one per pair and one to display)
  • Paper (blank; 4.5" x 5.5"; one piece per student)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Unit 3 Guiding Questions anchor chart (begun in Lesson 1)
  • Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart (begun in Unit 2, Lesson 2 and added to in Lesson 1)

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.

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Opening

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing the Performance Task and Learning Targets (5 minutes)

  • Invite students to the whole group area.
  • Display the Wildflower Seed Packet: Bee Model.
  • With excitement, remind students that yesterday they learned about the performance task for this module: creating a wildflower seed packet!
  • Review the purpose of the wildflower seed packet: to promote planting wildflowers in our community so that butterflies can grow and survive. Tell students that the seed packets will be given away to family and school members who come to the Celebration of Learning at the end of this unit.
  • Introduce the Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist.
    • Review the definition of criteria (something people use as a guide or model).
    • Share that this checklist is a guide for what to do while completing the writing and the drawing for the performance task. Confirm that this checklist will help students create high-quality work.
    • Briefly read each bullet of the checklist aloud.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first two aloud:

"I can write reasons to support the opinion that people should plant wildflower seeds to help butterflies."
"I can analyze a model and discuss implications for drafting my artwork."

  • Confirm that these learning targets focus on two parts of the performance task: writing an opinion piece and drafting a drawing of a butterfly.
  • Share that students will now begin the opinion writing piece.
  • For students who may need additional support with motivation: After introducing the performance task, invite students to turn to a partner to share what they are most excited about in the task. Invite a few students to share out what their partner said. (MME)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Above the words on the learning target, consider illustrating key words to scaffold understanding and memory. (MMR, MMAE)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Performance Task Writing: Wildflower Seed Packet Writing Piece (30 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Display the Wildflower Seed Packet: Bee Model and remind students that the back includes an opinion writing piece about why people should plant seeds to help pollinators.
  • While still displaying the Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist, read criterion #1 aloud:
    • "Writing supports the opinion with reasons from our research"
  • Confirm that this is one important criterion for the opinion writing on the wildflower seed packet.
  • Say:

"We're asking people to plant wildflower seeds to help butterflies. They may not know why they should help butterflies. Our writing will answer the question 'Why should we help butterflies?' This question will be the introduction of our paragraph."

  • Tell students that they will discuss this question using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they have used this protocol before and review as necessary using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart.
    • Guide students through the protocol using the following prompt:

"Why should we help butterflies?"

    • Refocus whole group. Tell students that their answers to this question will serve as the supporting reasons for their wildflower seed packet writing piece.
  • Transition students to their workspaces and point out the pre-distributed copies of the wildflower seed packet writing piece and Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist.
  • Display the Dangers That Butterflies Face and Reasons Butterflies Are Important: Class Notes, and identify the bottom half of the chart as a source for students' supporting reasons.
  • Orient students to the boxes labeled "Reason 1" and "Reason 2" on the wildflower seed packet writing piece. 
  • Invite students to draft two supporting reasons that answer the question "Why should we help butterflies?" using complete sentences. Remind students that after they write the two supporting reasons, they can make a check mark on their Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist in the box next to it. Demonstrate making a check mark if needed.
  • Circulate to support students and refer them to the Dangers That Butterflies Face and Reasons Butterflies Are Important: Class Notes as needed. Refer to the wildflower seed packet writing piece (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. For students who finish their supporting reasons quickly, direct them to revise their sentences for descriptive and specific language where possible.
  • After 10-12 minutes, invite students to share their supporting reasons with an elbow partner.
  • Refocus students whole group, and focus them on the box labeled "Call to Action."
  • Explain that a call to action is something you say because you want others to take action to do something.
  • Provide an example. Say:

"If I want you to go to the cafeteria quickly, my call to action might be, 'Hey everyone, they are giving away free ice cream in the cafeteria!'"

  • Turn and Talk:

"On this wildflower seed packet, what do we want our audience to do?" (plant the wildflower seeds in the packet)

"What might we say for our call to action?" (Responses will vary, but may include: Help butterflies by planting wildflower seeds! Plant seeds to save butterflies!)

  • Invite responses whole group. As students share, synthesize their ideas and write one shared call-to-action statement on the board. Remind students that this is the conclusion of the paragraph.
  • Invite students to copy the call-to-action statement into the box labeled "Call to Action" on their wildflower seed packet writing piece.
  • Collect copies of the wildflower seed packet writing piece and invite students to join you in singing the chorus of "We Do What We Can" as they transition back to the whole group meeting area.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: (Sentence Frames) Provide sentence frames to support writing. (Examples: "Butterflies help plants by _____." "Butterflies help animals because _____.") (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with strategy development: (Shared Writing) Consider completing one reason people should protect butterflies as a shared writing experience before students write their own independently. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with information processing: (Annotating the Model) While discussing key parts of the Wildflower Seed Packet: Bee Model, annotate the margins, naming the relevant part of the piece and its function using its respective color in the color-coding system. (Example: Next to the introduction, use a red marker to write, "Introduction: Tell the reader about the topic.") (MMR)

B. Scientific Drawing: First Draft of Butterfly Drawing (20 minutes)

  • Refocus whole group.
  • Display the Wildflower Seed Packet: Bee Model and remind students that the front of the packet includes a drawing of the pollinator.
  • Display the Wildflower Seed Packet Criteria Checklist and read criterion #4 aloud:
    • "Drawing of butterfly uses accurate shape"
  • Review the definition of accurate (being correct).
  • Confirm that this is an important criterion for the drawing of the butterfly on the wildflower seed packet because it is a scientific drawing and should show the butterfly correctly, or how the butterfly looks in real life.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and reread the second one aloud:

"I can analyze a model and discuss implications for drafting my artwork."

  • Remind students that they have made scientific drawings of pollinators in previous units when learning about plants and pollinators.
  • Direct students' attention to the Scientific Drawing anchor chart and briefly review it:
    • "Observe closely before you begin sketching."
    • "Draw only what you can see."
    • "Identify basic shapes in the picture."
    • "Notice the size of the shapes you see."
    • "Think about arrangement."
    • "Add details."
    • "Use realistic colors."
  • Display the monarch butterfly photograph. Invite students to closely observe before inviting them to Turn and Talk:

"What shapes do you see?" (triangles, ovals, circles)

"Which shapes are bigger? Which shapes are smaller?" (Triangles are bigger; ovals and circles are smaller.)

"What body parts do you see on the butterfly?" (wings, antennae)

"Which body parts are smaller than others?" (Wings are larger; antennae are smaller.)

  • Cue students to listen as you share a new drawing technique: blind contour drawing.
  • Explain that blind means unable to see, and contour refers to the outline of the shape. Explain that artists use the blind contour technique to help them visualize what they will draw or paint, but without any materials in their hands.
  • Direct students to look at the displayed monarch butterfly image. Remind them that they've just discussed the lines, shapes, and sizes that they see.
  • Invite students to "draw" in the air while "tracing" the outline of the image that they see displayed. Tell students that visualizing in this way will help guide the first draft of their butterfly drawings.
  • Transition students to their workspaces and point out the pre-distributed paper, monarch butterfly photographs, and pencils. Invite students to complete their first-draft butterfly sketch in pencil only.
  • Circulate to support students as they draw and to remind them to use the technique of turning the image and paper upside down while drawing in order to focus on the shape, size, and arrangement of the parts of the butterfly, and/or the use of blind contour to help them visualize. Circulate to support students as they complete their first draft.
  • After 10-12 minutes, gather whole group and collect students' drawings. Tell students that they will have time to revise the accuracy of the shapes in their drawings based on peer feedback during the next lesson.
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "I can / analyze a model / and discuss / implications for drafting my artwork."
    • Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:
      • "What can you discuss?" What the things I notice from the model mean for my own drawing. (noun phrase)
      • implications: "What are some implications, or things you can learn, from the model drawing?" To make the wings bigger and the antennae smaller. (noun)
      • for drafting my artwork: "What will you use these implications, or learning from the model, to do?" Make my own butterfly drawing better. (prepositional phrase)
    • Practice: "I can analyze a model and discuss _____ for drafting my ______." (lessons; written piece, learning; butterfly drawing)
    • Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask:

"Now what do you think the sentence means?"

"How does this Language Dive add to your understanding of what we will do now/what we did?"

    • Practice: Ask:

"Can we divide this sentence into two or more sentences? How?" (I can analyze a model. I can discuss implications for drafting my own artwork.)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

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

"I can share a reflection on my learning with others."

  • Review the definition of reflect (to think about something deeply and carefully). Say:

"When you reflect on your learning, you can write down your thoughts and create a reflection. A reflection is your own thoughts about something--in this case, your learning. You will continue to work to reach this target throughout the unit as you reflect on your learning daily."

  • Direct students' attention to the posted Unit 3 Guiding Questions anchor chart and read the first guiding question aloud:
    • "How can I take action to help butterflies?"
  • Share that students will now reflect aloud on their learning today with a partner.
  • Turn and Talk:

"How did you take action to help butterflies today?" (I began to create the parts of the wildflower seed packet; I wrote about why people should help butterflies; I drafted a butterfly drawing.)

Conversation Cue: "What strategies helped you succeed in this task?" (Responses will vary, but may include: noticing the size of the shapes I saw.)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted Working to Contribute to a Better World anchor chart, and remind them that when they take action to help butterflies, they are contributing, or doing something to help, to make their community a better place.
  • Give students specific, positive feedback for working hard as they began creating their wildflower seed packet.
  • Preview tomorrow's work: revising their butterfly drawings and reflecting on their work and learning.
  • For students who may need additional support with working memory: Before the Turn and Talk, consider reviewing the activities from this lesson to support students in answering the question "How did you take action to help butterflies today?" (MMAE)

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