A Closer Read for Main Ideas: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses Chapter 1 | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G4:M2:U1:L3

A Closer Read for Main Ideas: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses Chapter 1

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.4.1: Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • RI.4.2: Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
  • RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • RI.4.8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text.
  • W.4.7: Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
  • W.4.8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
  • SL.4.2: Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
  • L.4.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • L.4.4a: Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
  • L.4.4c: Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can paraphrase information presented in a read-aloud on animal defense mechanisms. (W.4.8, SL.4.2)
  • I can determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details. (RI.4.1, RI.4.2)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Listening Closely note-catcher (W.4.8, SL.4.2)
  • Close Read Questions: "Lying Low" (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.4, RI.4.8, W.4.7, W.4.8, L.4.4)
  • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Expert Group Gist chart (RI.4.4, L.4.4)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening 

A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Engaging the Reader: Reading Aloud and Paraphrasing Venom (10 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Close Read: "Lying Low" (30 minutes)

B. Reading for the Gist: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Debrief: Creating a Determining the Main Idea Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

4. Homework 

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students participate in a teacher-led close read of a complex text about animal defenses. This close read guides students through the text's challenging vocabulary and helps them to understand what defense mechanisms are, specifically focusing on how some animals hide to protect themselves (RI.4.4, W.4.7, L.4.4a, L.4.4c). In addition, students cite evidence from the text to support the answers to their questions (RI.4.1)  and learn how to determine the main idea of a text and identify details that support this main idea (RI.4.2, RI.4.8).
  • Students use the same process from Lesson 2 to closely read a new section of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses. Working in expert groups, they begin by reading for gist in this lesson, and then read and reread the same section in Lessons 4 and 5 for the main idea and supporting details (RI.4.2, W.4.7, W.4.8) and determining the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary (RI.4.4, L.4.4a, L.4.4c).
  • The sections from Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses that students work with in Lessons 3-5 were chosen based on the overall structure of the book. By reading these specific sections, students get a general overview of what animal defense mechanisms are, as well as an introduction to several types of defense mechanisms (fleeing, armor, and poison).
  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by following along and reading silently as the teacher reads Venom aloud in Opening A and Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses throughout Work Time A.
  • The close reading in this lesson is mostly teacher-led, so all students work at the pace the teacher sets, with support where necessary. Consider inviting students who need an extension opportunity to be peer coaches. Students who finish early can discuss the following with a partner:
    • Look online to find out what the expression "lying low" means.
    • Why do you think the author called this section "Lying Low"?
    • Can you find other expressions that have some form of the word lie in them?
  • In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to become effective learners. The characteristics they are reminded of in this lesson are: perseverance and collaboration because students work together as they read the complex text "Lying Low" and when reading their expert group's selection from Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses.

How it builds on previous work:

  • Students have had a general introduction to animal defense mechanisms in Lessons 1 and 2; in this lesson, they continue to build background knowledge on how some animals avoid danger as a defense mechanism.
  • Continue to use Goals 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.
  • The research reading students complete for homework will help to build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to animals and specifically animal defense mechanisms. By participating in this volume of reading over a span of time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help to describe and make sense of it.

Areas where students may need additional support:

  • Students may need support writing the answers to their questions. Consider grouping those students together so you can provide them with additional support.
  • Strategically group students within the expert groups. One possible arrangement to consider is to group ELLs who speak the same home language, allowing them to have more meaningful discussions and clarify points in their native language; another option is to group students who may struggle into Group 3, reading "Poisonous Prey." This is the shortest section and has an easily identified main idea.

Assessment Guidance:

  • Throughout the teacher-led close read, call on students to share their responses with the whole group to build knowledge collectively and clarify any misconceptions. As students are writing, circulate to clarify misunderstandings and use these as teaching points for the whole group.
  • Review students' gist charts to ensure that they understand that the gist is what the text is mostly about.
  • Consider using the Reading: Foundational Skills Informal Assessment: Reading Fluency Checklist when students read their sections of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses for gist in Work Time B. See the Tools page.
  • Consider using the Reading: Foundational Skills Informal Assessment: Phonics and Word Recognition Checklist (Grade 4) to informally assess students when they read their sections of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses for gist in Work Time B. See the Tools page.

Down the road:

  • Students will participate in another teacher-led close read of a section of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses in Lesson 4 to continue learning about animal defense mechanisms and practice determining the main idea and supporting details of a text.
  • Students continue to work in expert groups to read the predetermined sections in Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses. In Lessons 4 and 5, they will continue working in these groups to identify details that support that main idea. Finally, at the end of Lesson 5, they will meet with students who read different sections of the text to share the main idea and supporting details, as well as key vocabulary words.
  • Students will be assessed on determining the main idea of a text and identifying supporting details on the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment and again in Unit 2.

In Advance

  • Read the Close Reading Guide: "Lying Low" in conjunction with the text to familiarize yourself with what will be required of the students.
  • Consider strategic pairing of students to enable peer support during partner work for the close read.
  • Determine expert groups for reading of sections of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (three groups total).
  • Prepare the Determining the Main Idea anchor chart (see supporting materials).
  • Post: Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson3); learning targets.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time B: For students who will benefit from hearing the text read aloud multiple times to find the gist, consider using a text-to-speech tool such as Google Chrome Speak 
  • Work Time B: Consider inviting students to use a web page annotation tool such as Diigo for highlighting unfamiliar vocabulary words and adding gist annotations to a web page.
  • Work Time B: Student Expert Group Animal research notebooks could be completed by students online, for example on Google Docs in a folder for each student.
  • Work Time B: Students complete their note-catcher 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.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 4.I.B.6, 4.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself 

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs through a close read, which makes space for students to apply their understanding of smaller pieces of a larger complex text. Example: students check their understanding of how insects alter plants by discussing various insects and alterations, including caterpillars, ants, and aphids.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to process a large volume of unfamiliar language. Pull out one or two key sentences from each of the selected readings and discuss the meaning of each in a Mini Language Dive. Consistent Language Dive conversations will lead to greater understanding of the gist of each section and also open the door for language acquisition. See the lesson for specific suggestions.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Mini Language Dives, challenge students to generate questions about the sentence before asking the prepared questions. Example: "What questions can we ask about this sentence? Let's see if we can answer them together."

For heavier support:

  • Tell students that they will be doing a lot of reading during this lesson. They will do some of the reading independently. If they struggle, encourage them to keep reading, even if they don't understand all of the words. Have them focus on the gist. From time to time, read aloud with them. Make the task more manageable by giving them smaller portions to read.
  • Write some main ideas and supporting details from Venom and Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses on index cards. Mix them up and have small home language groups reassemble them into categories: Venom Main Ideas and Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses Main Ideas. Then have students match the supporting detail cards with the corresponding main idea. This activity will help them prepare for the mid-unit assessment.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Students with limited background knowledge may need support coming up with questions about the text. It may be helpful to provide them with some specific ideas about questions they could ask. Provide students who may need additional support with key sections that are pre-highlighted in their texts. This will help them focus on small sections rather than scanning the whole text for answers.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Prior to this lesson, some students may benefit from additional support with determining main idea and key details some direct instruction in advance. Model finding the main idea with one of the students' independent reading books for this unit. Use a format similar to the one they will use to record main idea and key details during the lesson.
  • Multiple Means of Engagement: Some students may need additional support in linking the information presented back to the learning targets. Invite students to make this connection by explicitly highlighting the utility and relevance of the text to the learning target. 

Vocabulary

Key: (L): Lesson-Specific Vocabulary; (T): Text-Specific Vocabulary; (W): Vocabulary used in writing

  • cite, evidence, main idea, key details (L)
  • alter (T)

Materials

  • Venom (book; one to display)
  • Completed Listening Closely note-catcher (from Lesson 2; pages 2-3 of Animal Defenses research notebook; one to display)
  • Animal Defenses research notebook (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
    • Listening Closely note-catcher (pages 6-7 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
    • Close Read Questions: "Lying Low" (pages 8-11 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
    • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses Reading for Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary (page 4 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
    • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Expert Group Gist chart (page 12 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
  • Equity sticks (one per student)
  • Listening Closely note-catcher (example, for teacher reference)
  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (from Module 1)
  • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (book; one per student and one to display)
  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3)
  • Close Reading Guide: "Lying Low" (for teacher reference)
  • Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Expert Group Gist chart (answers, for teacher reference)
  • Sticky note (one per student)
  • Determining the Main Idea anchor chart (new; co-created with students during Closing A)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

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

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Reviewing Learning Targets and Engaging the Reader: Reading Aloud and Paraphrasing Venom (10 minutes)

  • Display the cover of Venom and ask:

"What did we learn about when we read aloud Venom in Lesson 2?" (We learned that some animals use venom and poison to survive.)

  • Validate responses and explain that students will listen to another section of Venom today that shares information about how specific animals use venom to protect themselves.
  • Display the completed Listening Closely note-catcher. Invite students to turn to the same note-catcher in their Animal Defenses research notebooks. Remind them that they used this note-catcher to record information heard during the read-aloud in the previous lesson.
  • Use equity sticks to call on students. Ask:

"What kind of information did we record in each part of this note-catcher?" (We recorded running notes in the "What do you OBSERVE/HEAR?" box while we listened to the text being read to us, and we recorded questions we have in the "What QUESTIONS do you have?" box after listening. On the back, we used our notes to paraphrase what we listened to.)

  • Ask, and then use equity sticks to call on students to share whole group:

"When taking running notes, what should you try to write down?" (We should write down the details we hear, but we shouldn't try to write down every single word, or We should write down information from the text that will help us to explain the text in our own words later.)

  • Invite students to turn to the blank Listening Closely note-catcher on pages 6-7 of their Animal Defenses research notebooks. Point out where they will take notes and where they will paraphrase the text. Remind them that they don't have to write anything here just yet and that they will talk about this after listening to this section of Venom.
  • Remind students that, as in Lesson 2, the text will be read aloud. The first time they hear it, they should simply listen to what is being read. The second time, they should take running notes.
  • Read pages 16-17 aloud, being sure to also read the sidebars, "Bee Healthy: Apitherapy" and "Bees for Breakfast" on page 17.
  • Then invite students to turn and talk with a neighbor about the gist. (It was about bees and how they sting, or It was about the defense mechanisms of bees.)
  • Explain to students that they will now hear pages 16-17 read aloud a second time. Tell them they should now take notes on the Listening Closely note-catcher as you read aloud.
  • Read aloud pages 16-17 in Venom, stopping briefly after each paragraph. If necessary during each short pause, remind students to fill in notes on their note-catchers.
  • Ask students to share their notes with a partner. Tell them they can add to or revise their notes with their partners.
  • Remind students of the purpose for reading this text--to research how animals' bodies and behaviors help them survive. Invite them to complete the "What QUESTIONS do you have?" box.
  • Use equity sticks to call on pairs to share notes that they have added. Using the Listening Closely note-catcher (example, for teacher reference) as a reference, confirm with the class what should be recorded on the note-catcher for this selection from Venom.
  • Next, explain to students that they are ready to paraphrase this section of Venom. Ask:

"What does it mean to paraphrase a text?" (Paraphrasing means to explain something you have read or heard in your own words.)

  • Invite students to turn to the next page of their note-catchers. Tell them that now you would like them to practice paraphrasing this section of Venom. Ask them to do the following:

1. Reread your notes from today's reading of Venom.

2. Think about how we could paraphrase what we heard today. 

3. Share with an elbow partner how you would explain this text in your own words.

  • As students work, point out that they should include the source when they paraphrase and that referring to their running notes can help them include many specific details when they paraphrase. Invite students to write their paraphrased version of the text on their note-catchers.
  • Call on a few pairs to share how they paraphrased. (This section of Venom is about bees and how they use their stingers to protect themselves. Bees kill more people in the United States than any other venomous animal. There are different types of bees. Some spread pollen to help plants grow. Some bees live alone, and some live together. They have different jobs in the hive. The queen makes eggs, and the female worker bees take care of the hive by gathering pollen, making honey, and protecting the hive. The male bees don't work or sting. They mate with the queen. Most bees eat nectar and pollen. Bees use venom to protect themselves or their colonies. The honeybee's stinger is barbed so it stays in the victim and pumps venom. Bees die soon after stinging. If they're in danger, bees give off a chemical signal to let the other bees know. Some scientists think bee stings hurt to make the predator know to leave the bee alone in the future. Some people are allergic to bee stings and need to go to the doctor if they're stung. Pollen, honey, and venom can be used to help people who are sick. A bee-eater is a bird that eats bees.)
  • 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.)

  • Remind students that they will have many more opportunities to read this book and can read through it on their own during independent reading or in their free time during the school day if they wish.
  • Use equity sticks to call on a student to read the first learning target: 
    • "I can paraphrase information presented in a read-aloud on animal defense mechanisms."
  • Tell students that they just practiced this. Invite students to give a thumbs-up, -down, or -sideways to reflect on their progress toward this target. Tell students that they will revisit this target in the next lesson and will continue to figure out more about it.
  • Read the second learning target:
    • "I can determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details."
  • Tell students that they will closely read a selection from Chapter 1 of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses to determine the main idea and that they will cite evidence from the text to explain how that main idea is supported by key details. Then they will have a chance to begin to practice this in small groups with a new selection from Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses.
  • Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart, specifically perseverance and collaboration. Remind students that as they will be working to read a complex text and will need to persevere as they read it, and will be working with one another as they read so will need to collaborate.
  • Record any new vocabulary on the Academic Word Wall.
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: Offer a partially filled-in Listening Closely note-catchers or provide running notes on the text for them to use when they paraphrase today's read-aloud. (MMAE)
  • For ELLs, you may wish to pause the read-aloud after each paragraph and check for comprehension of the gist.
  • For ELLs, model one or two instances of taking running notes as you read the first couple of paragraphs. 
  • Tell ELLs: "You will hear some words in Venom that are not English, such as Apis mellifera. These are Latin words. In English, we have a common (everyday) name for this insect: It's bee. We also have a Latin, or scientific name, for this insect: It's Apis mellifera. In science texts, you will often see the common name and the scientific name."
  • For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. Ask students about the meaning of the chunks of a key structures of the Venom text. Write and display student responses next to the chunks. Higher-frequency examples: is responsible for the; pollen. Work on comprehension of these structures, for example, by eliciting paraphrases and asking questions:
    • "What does responsible mean?" (Use dictionary/translator.)
    • "What does pain from a sting do?"
    • "What does mellitin do?"
    • "So, pain is responsible for _____."
    • "Is mellitin responsible for killing people?" (No.)
    • "What are you responsible for?"
  • Support visual learners by having them draw or sketch definitions for key terms in learning targets, such as paraphrase, cite, evidence, determine, supported, main idea, and key details. (MMR)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Read: "Lying Low" (30 minutes)

  • Pair students.
  • Distribute copies of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses. Display page 7 and invite students to turn to that page in their copies and to the Close Read Questions: "Lying Low" in their Animal Defenses research notebooks.
  • Point out the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and focus students on the final criteria and bullets:
    • Listen to the questions:
      • Go back to the text to find answers to questions.
      • Talk with your partners about the answers you find.
  • Tell students that you are going to guide them through this close read. Some of the questions will be discussed as a whole group, and others will be discussed with a partner.
  • Write the phrase cite evidence on the board and explain that as they read, they will need to know the meaning of these words. Remind them that cite means to say, give, provide, or quote, and evidence means information taken directly from the text that supports their answer or claims. 
  • Ask students to turn to a partner and explain what they think it means to cite evidence from the text. Give students a few minutes to think and share, then use the equity sticks to call on a few pairs to share their explanations.
  • Confirm that citing evidence means explaining, giving, or providing facts and information from the text to support an answer or claim. If necessary, give an example.
  • Guide students through the close read using the Close Reading Guide: "Lying Low" (for teacher reference).
  • Provide ELLs with a version of the close read text that has a few key language structures highlighted; alternatively, tell ELLs which key language structures to underline. Check and clarify ELLs' understanding of the meaning these structures impart.

B. Reading for the Gist: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (10 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention back to the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and review the criteria on the chart.
  • Tell them that now they will have a chance to read a text in small groups. Explain that the text they will read is challenging and may have unfamiliar words. Reassure them that just like when they read other texts this year, they are not expected to understand it fully the first time. Remind them that one key to being a strong reader of difficult text is being willing to struggle.
  • Invite students to turn to Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Reading for Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary on page 4 of their Animal Defenses research notebook and display a copy. Cold call students to read the directions aloud as the class reads along silently in their heads. Point out how these directions are based on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart and remind students that they practiced reading for gist and unfamiliar vocabulary in Lesson 2.
  • Display the Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Expert Group Gist chart and invite students to refer to their research notebooks to find the Gist and Unfamiliar Vocabulary directions on page 4 and the Expert Group Gist chart. Explain that they will record their ideas on this chart as they work in their expert groups.
  • Tell students that now they will do this in small groups. Break them into three groups and tell them to circle their group page assignments on their gist chart.
  • Ask students to review what it looks like and sounds like when working in a small group of peers. (Wait my turn to speak, so I am heard; don't shout/speak too loudly; make sure everyone gets a turn to speak; no one person does most/all of the speaking; use information from the text to support my ideas.)
  • Remind them that when strong readers read a text, they use many strategies to make sense of what is being read. Ask:

"What strategies do readers use to make sense of a text?" (Readers infer, or Readers pay attention to what they understand and what they don't.)

"What strategies do readers use when they come to a word they don't know?" (Responses will vary but should include strategies from the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.)

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

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

  • Validate responses and write this question on the board:

"When you read this text for the first time, what made sense? What didn't?"

  • Tell students to jot down their notes about what made sense on a sticky note and words they do not know the meaning of and what is confusing on another sticky note.
  • Give students 6-8 minutes to read their section of the text independently. Circulate to support as needed. Probe by asking: "What's making sense? What is confusing?" and encourage them to persist. 
  • After 6-8 minutes, invite students to share initial thinking in their small groups:

"What makes sense? What is confusing?"

"Choose a word you are unsure about the meaning of. Which strategy would be most effective in determining the meaning of the word? What is the meaning of the word?"

  • Invite students to work in groups to find the gist of their expert group text, recording it on their gist chart.
  • Circulate to support as needed. Refer to the Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses: Expert Group Gist chart (Answers, for Teacher Reference). If necessary, prompt students by asking: "What was your section mostly about?"
  • Provide ELLs with a sentence starter or frame to aid in language production. For example: In the visual I see....
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Provide key sections that are pre-highlighted in their texts. This will help them focus on small sections rather than scanning the whole text for answers. (MMR)
  • Remind ELLs that the gist is different from the running notes: The gist is what the text is mostly about and is usually about one sentence long. The running notes are all of the details in the text. Each note is a few words long.
  • For students who may need additional support with organizing ideas for written expression: Consider partnering students so that one can scribe answers on sticky notes for those students who benefit from giving their answers orally and may need support writing their answers to the questions. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Debrief: Creating a Determining the Main Idea Anchor Chart (10 minutes)

  • Work with students to create a Determining the Main Idea anchor chart by inviting them to take out Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses and the Close Read Questions: "Lying Low."
  • Invite students to turn and talk:

"What do we mean by the main idea of a text?"

"How do we determine the main idea of a text?"

  • Ask for volunteers to share out. Collect students' ideas on the Determining the Main Idea anchor chart. Be sure the following characteristics are included:
    • The main idea is what a text, or part of a text, is about overall--the important thing the author wants the reader to know from reading the text.
    • An author develops a main idea with evidence from the text. The evidence in the text is made up of details that support the main idea, and these are called supporting details. 
    • Supporting details are the explicit information from the text that supports our thinking about the main idea.
    • Many times, but not always, the first sentence of a paragraph states the main idea of the paragraph.
    • Texts can have more than one important thing the author wants us to know from reading the text.
    • The heading and topic sentences of each paragraph can be used as clues to determine the main idea.
    • As you read, think about what the text is about and gather details to confirm this original thinking about what the text is about or more precisely focus this thinking.
  • Tell students that they will come back to this anchor chart over the next few lessons when determining the main idea of other texts about animal defense mechanisms.
  • Focus students on the learning targets. Read each one aloud, pausing after each to use a checking for understanding protocol for students to reflect on their comfort level with or show how close they are to meeting each target. Make note of students who may need additional support with each of the learning targets moving forward.
  • Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they persevered and collaborated in this lesson.
  • For students who may need additional support with vocabulary: Explore synonyms of determine with ELLs: find, figure out, decide, learn, discover. (MMR)
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Consider adding simple sketches to your anchor chart to support student understanding of key terms. (Example: Draw a magnifying glass above the word evidence or a balance/seesaw with "main ideas" written across the top and "key details" written on the support, holding up the main idea.) (MMR)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMAE)

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