Close Read: Pages 17–20 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA G5:M2:U1:L6

Close Read: Pages 17–20 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

  • RI.5.2: Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.

  • RI.5.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.

  • RI.5.5: Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.

  • RI.5.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

  • W.5.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • W.5.9b: Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., "Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]"").

  • L.5.4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Daily Learning Targets

  • I can make inferences about a text and cite evidence from the text to support my inferences. (RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, L.5.4)
  • I can describe the structure of a text. (RI.5.5)

Ongoing Assessment

  • Close Read: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 note-catcher (RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, L.5.4)
  • Chronological Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 graphic organizer (RI.5.5)
  • Exit Ticket: Comparing Text Structures (RI.5.5)

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Reviewing Learning Targets (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Close Reading: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (40 minutes)

B. Describing Text Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment

A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

4. Homework

A. Summarize a new section or chapter of your independent reading book.

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

C. For ELLs: Complete the Language Dive 2 Practice in your Unit 1 homework.

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

  • In this lesson, students participate in a teacher-led close read of pages 17-20 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. This close read guides students through analyzing the structure and main idea of this excerpt (RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, L.5.4).
  • 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.

  • During the close read, students participate in a Language Dive conversation that guides them through the meaning of a sentence from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World (RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.4, RI.5.5, L.5.4). Invite students to discuss each chunk briefly, but slow down to focus on the highlighted structure making a shifting geometry. Students may draw on this sentence when recalling details for their Science Talk at the end of the unit. Students then apply their understanding of the cause and effect structure of this sentence when they write longer pieces in Units 2 and 3.

  • Students practice their fluency in this lesson by rereading an excerpt from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World with a partner in Work Time A.

  • The research reading that students complete for homework helps build both their vocabulary and knowledge pertaining to the rainforest, specifically rainforest species and research. By participating in this volume of reading over time, students will develop a wide base of knowledge about the world and the words that help describe and make sense of it. Inviting students to share what they have been learning through independent reading holds them accountable.

  • In this lesson, the habit of character focus is working to become an effective learner. The characteristic students are reminded of specifically is collaboration, as they work in pairs.

How it builds on previous work:

  • Students closely read an excerpt from this section of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World in Lesson 3. Students use this excerpt to add to their understanding of different types of text structures.

  • Continue to use Goals 1 and 2 Conversation Cues to promote productive and equitable conversation.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

  • Some students may benefit from working with a partner throughout this lesson. Strategically pair students so they can support one another well as they read this complex text.

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.

Down the road:

  • In Lesson 7, students will read a new informational text about the rainforest and compare the structure of that text to the structure of the excerpt read in this lesson.

In Advance

  • Preview the Close Reading Guide: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 in conjunction with the text to familiarize yourself with what will be required of students.

  • Create a "Language Chunk Wall"--an area in the classroom where students can display and categorize the academic phrases discussed in the Language Dive. During the Language Dive, students are invited to place the Language Dive sentence strip chunks on the Language Chunk Wall into corresponding categories, such as "Verbs and verb phrases (actions, states of being)" and "Language to talk about purpose." Students can then refer to the wall after the Language Dive and during subsequent lessons. For this lesson, the categories are "Nouns and noun phrases and clauses (people, places, things)," "Verbs and verb phrases (actions, states of being)," and "Language to talk about cause and effect."

  • Predetermine pairs for Work Time A.

  • Prepare:

    • Comparing Text Structures anchor chart (see supporting materials).
    • Sentence strip chunks for use during the Language Dive (see supporting materials).
  • Post: Learning targets, Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart, Comparing Text Structures anchor chart, and Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart.

Tech and Multimedia

  • Work Time A: 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 Times A and B: Students complete their note-catchers and graphic organizers 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 5.I.B.5, 5.I.B.6, 5.I.B.7, 5.I.C.10, and 5.I.B.8

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to determine the gist, sketch, and participate in a close read and Language Dive of an excerpt from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World. This will prepare them to understand the meaning and structure of the text and to discuss what concrete language and sensory details help them understand about the rainforest.

  • ELLs may find describing how paragraphs connect with one another challenging because they will first need to understand the meaning of the text they are analyzing. The Language Dive may prepare them well to fully understand the meaning of one sentence, but they may need to discuss, act out, sketch, and paraphrase additional sentences before they can describe how the paragraphs connect with one another.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During the Close Read, invite students to create sentence frames for students who need heavier support. Examples:

    • "Meg is ________."
    • "The author describes what Meg is doing by ________."
    • "The purpose of these sentences is to _______." (MMR)
  • During the Language Dive, 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:

  • There is a great deal of information discussed during the close read. It would help students who might become overwhelmed to briefly preview some of the key ideas and concepts before beginning the close read. Consider assigning different groups to listen carefully for one of these key concepts each. They can be the experts on their own "piece of the puzzle." This will give students a focal point and will also provide additional motivation.

  • Guide students by pre-filling a few events in the Chronological Structure graphic organizer. This will help refresh students' memories and will prompt them to independently complete the graphic organizer.

  • In preparation for comparing text structures on the Mid-Unit 1 Assessment, review the Exit Ticket: Comparing Text Structures in the Opening of Lesson 7. Think-aloud the process of answering the selected response questions.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation: During the close read, remove any barriers for students to comprehend the text. (Examples: Display the text in an enlarged format on a document camera so all students can read it. Provide sentence starters for turn-and-talks to encourage participation.)

  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression: Some students may need additional support with the Chronological Structure graphic organizer. Consider multiple ways that students can demonstrate their learning by varying the complexity of the task. (Examples: Provide a few examples on the graphic organizers to serve as models. Provide sentence strips of different events and allow students to put them in order on the graphic organizer. This physical engagement can facilitate increased memory function.)

  • Multiple Means of Engagement: To minimize the risk on the Chronological Structure graphic organizer, have the students put the sentence strips in order first before pasting them down. Provide specific feedback and give students an opportunity to revise the sequence of their sentence strips before they paste them on their graphic organizer.

Vocabulary

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

  • chronological (L)

  • geometry, snapshots (T)

Materials

  • Close Read: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 note-catcher (one per student)

  • The Most Beautiful Roof in the World (from Lesson 1; one per student and one to display)

  • Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart (begun in Module 1)

  • Close Reading Guide: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (for teacher reference)

    • Language Dive note-catcher (one per student and one to display)
    • Sentence strip chunks (one to display)
  • Red, yellow, and green markers (one of each per student)

  • Comparing Text Structures anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)

  • Text Structure Resource Page (from Lesson 4; one per student)

  • Chronological Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 graphic organizer (one per student and one to display)

  • Chronological Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 graphic organizer (answers, for teacher reference)

  • Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart (begun in Module 1)

  • Exit Ticket: Comparing Text Structures (one per student)

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 (5 minutes)

  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and select volunteers to read them aloud:

    • "I can make inferences about a text and cite evidence from the text to support my inferences."
    • "I can describe the structure of a text."
  • Tell students that in this lesson, they will closely read another excerpt from The Most Beautiful Roof in the World to analyze the structure and determine the main idea.

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with memory: Check for comprehension by asking students to summarize and then to personalize the learning targets. Ask them to paraphrase the targets and then to say how they feel about them. Example:

"Can you put the first learning target in your own words?" (I can tell about the structure of the reading.)

"How do you feel about that target?" (It might be a little hard, but it is interesting.) (MMR, MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Close Reading: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (40 minutes)

  • Move students into predetermined pairs.

  • Distribute the Close Read: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 note-catcher. Invite students to take out their copies of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World and turn to page 17.

  • Explain that students will closely read another excerpt from the section "Out of the Shadow and into the Light." Review the gist of this section.

  • Point out the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart.

  • Tell students 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.

  • Guide students through the Close Reading Guide: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (for teacher reference). Refer to the guide for how to integrate the Language Dive and use the Language Dive note-catcher and sentence strip chunks.

  • Refocus students on the first learning target and invite them to show a red, yellow, or green marker to indicate how close they feel they are to meeting this target now, with red being a long way from meeting the target and green being fully meeting the standard. Scan the responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.

  • For ELLs and students who may benefit from visual supports: Provide visuals next to each bullet point on the Close Readers Do These Things anchor chart. (MMR)

  • For students who may need additional support in reading: Pre-highlight key sections in their texts. This will help students focus on smaller sections rather than scanning the whole text. (MMR, MMAE)

  • Provide differentiated mentors by purposefully preselecting partners. Consider meeting with the mentors in advance to encourage them to share their thought processes with their partner. (MMAE)

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading: During the close read, display the text on a document camera or as an enlarged copy to help direct students to the appropriate sentences on each page. (MMR)

  • For students who may need additional support with reading: Consider providing a book on tape to help facilitate comprehension. (MMR)

B. Describing Text Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 (10 minutes)

  • Invite students to reread pages 17-20 and examine their sketches on their Close Read: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 note-catcher.

  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What is the main idea of this excerpt?" (This section describes what Meg does while working in the rainforest canopy.)

  • Direct students' attention to the Comparing Text Structures anchor chart. Select a volunteer to read the sentence at the top:

    • "Text structure is how information or ideas are organized in a text."
  • Remind students that understanding a text's structure can help a reader understand the purpose of the text and how parts of a text relate to each other. Point out this bullet on the anchor chart. Remind them that throughout the close read, they thought about the purpose of certain sentences in the excerpt and how the paragraphs related to each other.

  • Invite students to take out the Text Structure Resource Page and select volunteers to read each type of structure and its description. Remind students that they practiced using the Descriptive Structure graphic organizer during the close read in Lesson 3 and the Proposition and Support graphic organizer in Lessons 3-4.

  • Invite students to Think-Pair-Share:

"What is the structure of this excerpt? How is the information organized?" (chronological; it tells the sequence of Meg climbing into the canopy and working in the rainforest)

  • Explain that chronological is another way to say sequential, or in order. So, a text that follows the chronological structure gives events or steps in a process in the order that they happen.

  • Point out that there are descriptive paragraphs in this excerpt--for example, the paragraph on page 17 that begins with "Spider monkeys prefer...." But, as a whole, this excerpt follows a chronological structure.

  • Distribute the Chronological Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 graphic organizer and select a volunteer to read the headings on each section of the graphic organizer. Answer clarifying questions.

  • Tell students that with this organizer--created for texts that follow a chronological text structure--they will write the events described in the text in the order that they happened. Model rereading page 17 and completing the row for the first event. Refer to the Chronological Structure: The Most Beautiful Roof in the World, Pages 17-20 graphic organizer (answers, for teacher reference) as necessary.

  • Focus students on the Working to Become Effective Learners anchor chart and remind them specifically of the collaboration criteria. Remind students that because they will be working together in pairs, they need to be conscious of working effectively with others.

  • Tell students they will work with their partner to complete the remaining rows on their graphic organizer. Explain that in each row, they should write what Meg does in the canopy in the order in which events occurred, using evidence from this excerpt.

  • Invite students to begin working.

  • After 5-7 minutes, refocus the group.

  • Select volunteers to share with the group.

  • Refocus students on the second learning target and invite them to show a red, yellow, or green marker to indicate how close they feel they are to meeting this target now, with red being a long way from meeting the target and green being fully meeting the standard. Scan the responses and make a note of students who may need more support with this moving forward.

  • Repeat, inviting students to self-assess against how well they collaborated in this lesson.

  • For ELLs: Pair students with a partner who has more advanced or native language proficiency. The partner with greater language proficiency can serve as a model in the pair, clarifying any questions or confusion about the activity.

  • For ELLs: Invite students to discuss the activity in their home languages. Say: "This task may be very difficult. To make it easier, you can take 2 minutes to talk about this with a partner who shares your home language. Then we can share in English. _____ (student's name), since you are the only student who is able to speak in wonderful _____ (e.g., Urdu), feel free to think quietly or write in _____ (e.g., Urdu)."

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

  • Distribute Exit Ticket: Comparing Text Structures.

  • Read the questions on the exit ticket aloud for students and invite them to complete it.

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with receptive language: To provide extra processing time, read the questions aloud more than once. (MMR)

Homework

HomeworkMeeting Students' Needs

A. Summarize a new section or chapter of your independent reading book.

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

C. For ELLs: Complete the Language Dive 2 Practice in your Unit 1 homework.

  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with reading and writing: Refer to the suggested homework support in Lesson 1. (MMAE, MMR)

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