- I can fluently read a poem aloud. (RF.3.4a, RF.3.4b, RF.3.4c)
- I can refer explicitly to the text when answering questions about the text. (RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.4, RF.3.4, L.3.1a, L.3.4a)
- I can describe the structure of a narrative text. (RL.3.2, RL.3.3)
These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:
- RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.
- RL.3.2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
- RL.3.3: Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
- RL.3.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from nonliteral language.
- RF.3.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
- RF.3.4a: Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
- RF.3.4b: Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
- RF.3.4c: Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
- L.3.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
- L.3.4a: Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- Choral reading: "The Polliwogs" (RF.3.4a, RF.3.4b, RF.3.4c)
- Close Reading: "The Polliwogs" note-catcher (RL.3.1, RL.3.2, RL.3.4, RF.3.4, L.3.1a, L.3.4a)
- Participation in analysis of "Why the Frog Has a Long Tongue" (RL.3.2, RL.3.3)
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
---|---|
1. Opening A. Engaging the Reader (10 minutes) B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Close Reading: "The Polliwogs" (15 minutes) B. Shared Reading: "Why the Frog Has a Long Tongue" (20 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. Debrief: What Is a Pourquoi Tale? (10 minutes) 4. Homework A. Choose and respond to a Narrative QuickWrite prompt in your Unit 1 homework packet. B. Ask a family member to tell you a pourquoi tale or bring a written tale (in any language) from home, the library, or the research reading selection. C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:
How it builds on previous work:
Areas where students may need additional support:
Assessment Guidance:
Down the road:
|
In Advance
- Read the Close Read Guide: "The Polliwogs" to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students.
- Strategically pair students for partner work in Work Times A and B.
- Prepare and display the Why? anchor chart.
- When preparing the Narrative Texts handout, ensure the second page with the chart is printed so students can cut it apart (not double-sided), so as to not lose the bullet points about narrative texts on the first page of the handout.
- Post: Learning targets.
Tech and Multimedia
- Opening A and Work Time B: For students who will benefit from hearing the text read aloud multiple times, consider using a text-to-speech tool like Natural Reader, SpeakIt! for Google Chrome, or the Safari reader. Note that to use a web-based text-to-speech tool like SpeakIt! or Safari reader, you will need to create an online doc, such as a Google Doc, containing the text.
- Work Time A: Use a search engine like Google Images or Flickr to find images or videos of tadpoles at the end of the close read. Consider that YouTube, social media video sites, and other website links may incorporate inappropriate content via comment banks and ads. Although some lessons include these links as the most efficient means to view content in preparation for the lesson, be sure to preview links and/or use a filter service, such as SafeShare.tv, for viewing these links in the classroom.
- Work Time A: Students complete their note-catchers in a word processing document, for example a Google Doc using Speech to Text facilities activated on devices, or using an app or software like Dictation.io.
- Work Time B: If using the text in a technology-based document such as a Word doc or a Google Doc, students can highlight each section--beginning, middle, and end--in a different color.
Supporting English Language Learners
Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 3.I.B.6, 3.I.B.8, 3.III.
Important points in the lesson itself
- The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through a fluency exercise. Reading fluency is an area where ELLs may shine as they are given an opportunity to focus on a limited amount of text and practice repeatedly, perhaps with the support of a recorded model.
- ELLs may find the fluency exercise challenging at the same time. If they struggle with reading fluency in English, reading aloud could be daunting. For this lesson, consider focusing students' attention on just one element of fluency, such as the pace of reading. Focusing their efforts will motivate them to read more fluently and reduce the chances of overwhelming them.
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- Before providing sentence frames or additional modeling during Work Time, observe student interaction and allow students to grapple. Provide supportive frames and demonstrations only after students have grappled with the task. Observe the areas in which they struggle to target appropriate support.
- Invite students to create their own sentence frames that support productive and equitable conversation during Work Time. Example: "The plot structure in this part was ___________. I think so because the text said __________." They can write the frames in a speech bubble and invite students who need heavier support to hold up the speech bubbles on an ice cream stick.
For heavier support:
- Consider playing a tape in another language that illustrates fluent reading. This will reinforce the notion that reading fluently is a skill that is used in almost every language and is not something that can be achieved only by knowing English perfectly. Alternatively, invite a bilingual student to read a text fluently for the class in his or her home language.
- Students may more fully appreciate the pourquoi narrative if they have more experience with the genre. Remind them of pourquoi narratives they may have read in a previous lesson. Also consider reading aloud pourquoi narratives from other cultures, such as Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears: A West African Tale by Verna Aardema, to build schema and foster diversity and inclusion.
- The narrative text structure may be difficult for some students. During the read-aloud, check frequently for comprehension and reteach the parts of the narrative structure accordingly.
- During the close read, distribute a partially filled-in copy of the Close Reading: "The Polliwogs" note-catcher. This provides students with models for the kind of information they should enter, while relieving the volume of writing required.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Hearing a complex text read slowly, fluently, and without interruption or explanation promotes fluency for students; they are hearing a strong reader read the text aloud with accuracy and expression and are simultaneously looking at and thinking about the words on the printed page. Be sure to set clear expectations that students read along silently in their heads as the text is read aloud.
- 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, facilitate communication by providing sentence frames to help them organize their thoughts. This way, all students can benefit from peer interaction.
- Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Throughout this unit, sustained engagement and effort is essential for student achievement. Some students may need support to remember the goal for the work they are doing in this and future lessons. These students benefit from consistent reminders of learning goals and their value or relevance. Recall that students who may struggle 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)
- explicitly, unfamiliar, fluently, narrative, structure, beginning, middle, end, establishes the situation, introduces the characters, problem, respond, solution, resolution, point, pourquoi tale (L)
- polliwogs, wiggle, shiver, practice, opened, delicious, skilled, combined, flexible, relaxing, flick (T)
Materials
- Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs (one to display; for teacher read-aloud)
- Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)
- Affix list (from Module 1; one per student)
- Academic Word Wall (started in Module 1)
- Vocabulary logs (from Module 1; one per student)
- Close Reading: "The Polliwogs" note-catcher (one per student)
- Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (from Module 1)
- Close Reading Guide: "The Polliwogs" (for teacher reference)
- Domain-Specific Word Wall (started in Lesson 1)
- Why? anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Work Time A)
- "Why the Frog Has a Long Tongue" (from Lesson 1; one per student and one for display)
- Narrative Texts handout (one per student and one for display)
- Scissors (one per student)
Assessment
Each unit in the 3-5 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. 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
Opening | Meeting Students' Needs |
---|---|
A. Engaging the Reader (10 minutes)
"I can fluently read a poem aloud."
"What is this poem about?" (Responses will vary but may include that it is about polliwogs or baby frogs.) "What did you notice about how I read the poem?" (Responses will vary.)
"What does it mean to read something fluently?" (to read aloud with expression and at an appropriate rate--not too fast and not too slow; changing your voice to match the meaning of the text; correcting and rereading words when mistakes are made)
|
|
B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)
"I can refer explicitly to the text when answering questions about the text." "I can describe the structure of a narrative text."
"Which strategies could we use to determine the meaning of this word?" (student responses may vary, but could include using a dictionary)
"We have probably seen parts of this word before, so which strategies could we use to determine the meaning of this word?" (student responses may vary, but could include using known affixes or root words)
"What does familiar mean? If someone or something is familiar to you what does it mean? For example I might say "I am familiar with that song"" (know it or seen it before)
|
"What is a narrative text?" (a text that tells a story) "What might we mean by the structure of a narrative text?" (the parts of narrative texts)
|
Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
---|---|
A. Close Reading: "The Polliwogs" (15 minutes)
|
|
B. Shared Reading: "Why the Frog Has a Long Tongue" (20 minutes)
"What is the gist of this text? What is it mostly about?" (It's about Kikker, a young frog who wants to win a fly-eating contest. He couldn't jump as high as the other frogs, so despite all of his practice, he could not catch any flies. He realized he could use his long tongue to catch flies, and at the contest he caught more flies than any of the other frogs.)
"What other structure is used in these paragraphs?" (introducing the character) "What details in the text make you think so?" (The paragraph tells the name of the main character, Kikker, and describes what he is like: "smooth, lime green skin"; "his big, black eyes were rimmed in gold and bulged pleasantly"; he's very smart, kind, and tiny.)
"Who can repeat what your classmate said?" (Responses will vary.)
|
|
Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
---|---|
A. Debrief: What Is a Pourquoi Tale? (10 minutes)
"What makes this story different from other narratives you may have read before? (The main character is an animal, and it took place long ago.) "What is this story explaining? What is the point of the narrative?" (It's about why frogs use their tongues to catch flies.) "Is this story true? Could it have happened long, long ago? Why or why not?" (No, because animals do not talk.)
"Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)
"What is the translation of why in our home languages?" (limadha a in Arabic) Call on student volunteers to share. Ask other students to choose one translation to silently repeat. Invite students to say their chosen translation out loud when you give the signal. Chorally repeat the translations and the word in English. Invite self- and peer correction of the pronunciation of the translations and the English. "What makes 'Why the Frog Has a Long Tongue' a pourquoi tale?" (It explains why frogs have long tongues; it answers a "why" question.)
|
|
Homework
Homework | Meeting Students' Needs |
---|---|
A. Choose and respond to a Narrative QuickWrite prompt in your Unit 1 homework packet. B. Ask a family member to tell you a pourquoi tale or bring a written tale (in any language) from home, the library, or the research reading selection. C. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
|
Copyright © 2013-2024 by EL Education, New York, NY.