- 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.4.2)
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.
Daily Learning Targets
Ongoing Assessment
- Listening Closely note-catcher (W.4.8, SL.4.2)
- Close Read Questions: "A Life in Hiding" (RI.4.1, RI.4.2, RI.4.4, RI.4.8, W.4.7, W.4.8, L.4.4)
- Determining the Main Idea note-catcher (RI.4.2)
Agenda
Agenda | Teaching Notes |
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1. Opening A. Engaging the Reader: Reading Aloud and Paraphrasing Venom (5 minutes) B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Close Read: "A Life in Hiding" (20 minutes) B. Rereading an Informational Text: Determining the Main Idea (15 minutes) C. A Closer Look at Words: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (10 minutes) 3. Closing and Assessment A. KWEL: Animal Defense Mechanisms (5 minutes) 4. Homework A. Vocabulary Work from your homework resources for this unit. B. 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:
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In Advance
- Read the Close Reading Guide: "A Life in Hiding" in conjunction with the text to familiarize yourself with what will be required of the students.
- Display the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (from Module 1, Unit 1, Lesson 3), the Determining the Main Idea anchor chart (from Lesson 3), and the Determining the Meaning of Unfamiliar Vocabulary anchor chart (from Lesson 2).
- Post: Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, Determining the Main Idea anchor chart, Determining the Meaning of Unfamiliar Vocabulary anchor chart; learning targets.
Tech and Multimedia
- Work Times A and 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 Times A and B: 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 C: Consider inviting students to use a web page annotation tool such as Diigo for highlighting unfamiliar vocabulary words on a web page. Model this in Work Time A and invite students to use the tool for their own work in Work Time C.
Unit 1
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 predict what the text sections will be about, thus helping them focus in on specific language they should look for as they read.
- ELLs may find it challenging to paraphrase well. There are cultural differences that may explain some difficulties that some ELLs may have. In some cultures, "borrowing" word-for-word is acceptable, even honored. Tell ELLs: "In the United States, you can use the ideas from a text. You have to say where you got the ideas. But you cannot use the same sentences from a text. You have to say them again in your own words."
Levels of support
For lighter support:
- Challenge students to create their own selected response test-taking strategies and write their own selected response questions to help them prepare for the mid-unit assessment. Students who need heavier support can complete the questions.
For heavier support:
- Ask students what new language they remember from the previous lesson. Congratulate them heartily: "You are learning more and more English!"
- In preparation for the mid-unit assessment, devise two-part selected response questions. Some students may have never experienced a selected response question, so they'll benefit from orientation and practice. Example:
Part A
What is the meaning of social as it is used in Paragraph 3 of "Wasp-Waisted"?
A. part of a house
B. part of a community
C. insects we usually see
D. insects that build homes
Part B
Which evidence from Paragraph 3 best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "... most often encounter ...
B. "... live in groups ..."
C. "... types of papery nests ..."
D. "... on door hinges ..."
- Test-taking strategies: Explain that students should first read the question and try to answer without looking at the options. They should choose just one answer, the best answer. Finally, if they don't know the answer, they should simply guess, and they should always guess the same number, B or C.
Universal Design for Learning
- Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): In this lesson, support activating background knowledge by providing students with some specific ideas about questions they could ask about the text. Additionally, revisit the Animal Defenses research notebooks with the small group of students who met to check and clarify the organization of information within the research notebook
- Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): Students who need support organizing their thoughts and/or writing may benefit from having a "sneak peek" at the recording forms they will use in today's lesson. Walk through the Animal Defenses research notebook with them, pointing out where different information should be recorded. Encourage them to write sentence frames in advance, working as a small group to come up with these sentence frames for different parts of the recording forms. If necessary, model recording evidence and documenting a source again, using one of the students' independent reading books.
- Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Since students have used the research notebook for a few lessons now, check their previous work. Point out places they did a great job capturing their thinking and give suggestions for how they could improve other places where their thinking is less clear or where they may have misunderstood the writing expectations.
Vocabulary
Key: (L): Lesson-Specific Vocabulary; (T): Text-Specific Vocabulary; (W): Vocabulary used in writing
- determine (L)
- armor, fleeing, poison, predator, pursue, threatened (T)
Materials
- Venom (book; one per display)
- Animal Defenses research notebook (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)
- Listening Closely note-catcher (pages 13-14 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
- Close Read Questions: "A Life in Hiding" (pages 15-19 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
- Determining the Main Idea note-catcher (pages 20-21 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
- KWEL Chart: Animal Defense Mechanisms (page 1 of Animal Defenses research notebook)
- Equity sticks (one per student)
- Listening Closely note-catcher (example, for teacher reference)
- 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)
- Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (from Module 1)
- Close Reading Guide: "A Life in Hiding" (for teacher reference)
- Determining the Main Idea anchor chart (begun in Lesson 3)
- Determining the Main Idea note-catcher (answers, for teacher reference)
- Vocabulary log (one per student; begun in Module 1)
- Sticky notes (two per student)
- Vocabulary Words (for teacher reference)
- Domain-Specific Word Wall (from Lesson 2)
- Index cards (two per group)
- KWEL Chart: Animal Defense Mechanisms (answers, for teacher reference)
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 |
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A. Engaging the Reader: Reading Aloud and Paraphrasing Venom (5 minutes)
"What did we learn about when we read aloud Venom in Lesson 3?" (We learned about bees and how they sting, or It was about the defense mechanisms of bees.)
1. Reread your notes from today's reading of Venom. 2. Think about how you could paraphrase what you heard today. 3. Share with an elbow partner how you would explain this text in your own words.
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put ice on it to reduce swelling and pain and use their venom to paralyze spiders or insects: this usage indicates the writer will tell us a reason or purpose manage to lug it to the spider's nest: these usages indicate the joining of two verbs and directionality This wasp's sting is especially painful to people: this usage indicates the person or thing affected by something else
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B. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)
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Work Time
Work Time | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Close Read: "A Life in Hiding" (20 minutes)
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B. Rereading an Informational Text: Determining the Main Idea (15 minutes)
"What do we mean by the main idea of a text?" (The main idea is what a text, or part of a text, is about overall, or The main idea is the important thing the author wants the reader to know from reading the text.)
"How do we determine the main idea of a section of text?" (Describe close reading of "Lying Low" in Lesson 3 and "A Life in Hiding" earlier in this lesson. We think about what the text is mostly about as we read each paragraph and confirm or change our thinking about the main idea as we read, or We 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.)
"Can you say more about that?" (Responses will vary.) "Who can tell us what your classmate said in your own words?" (Responses will vary.)
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C. A Closer Look at Words: Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses (10 minutes)
"What strategy do you use most often trying to figure out what a word means?"
"Who can repeat what your classmate said?" (Responses will vary.)
1. With your partners, determine the meaning of the words from your selection of Animal Behavior: Animal Defenses. 2. In your vocabulary log, write the definition, the strategy you used to figure out the meaning, and a sketch representing the word. 3. Reread the text with your partners. 4. Discuss the following questions: How has your understanding of these words changed? Which words are still confusing for you and why? Record your questions on a sticky note.
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Closing & Assessments
Closing | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. KWEL: Animal Defense Mechanisms (5 minutes)
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Homework
Homework | Meeting Students' Needs |
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A. Vocabulary Work from your homework resources for this unit. B. Accountable Research Reading. Select a prompt to respond to in the front of your independent reading journal. |
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