ELA GK:M3:U3:L8

Small Group Research: Taking Notes and Unit 3 Assessment, Part II

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

W.K.7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and express opinions about them).
W.K.8: With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
SL.K.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
SL.K.1a: Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion).
SL.K.1b: Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges.
SL.K.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

Daily Learning Targets

I can describe what animals depend on my tree using my research notes. (W.K.7, W.K.8)
I can discuss the needs of my tree and identify patterns among different types of trees. (SL.K.1a, SL.K.1b, SL.K.4)

Ongoing Assessment

Circulate and observe students throughout the Science Talk in Work Time B. Use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.K.1a and SL.K.1a (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
During shared reading in Work Time C, circulate and listen as students discuss patterns among trees. Prompt them to provide more detail when listening in and/or sharing with the whole class to measure progress toward SL.K.4.

Agenda

Agenda	Teaching Notes
1. Opening A. Poem and Movement: "Connecting Trees" (5 minutes) 2. Work Time A. Preparing for a Science Talk: Tree: Individual Notes (20 minutes) B. Unit 3 Assessment, Part II: Science Talk (15 minutes) C. Shared Reading: All about Trees Anchor Chart (15 minutes) 3. Closing A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)	Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: This lesson follows the same structure as Lesson 5. Please refer to that lesson for more detail, as necessary. How this lesson builds on previous work: In Lesson 7, students added to their Tree: Small Group Notes about their specific trees. In Work Time A, they use those notes to create their own individual notes and to help them prepare for a Science Talk. In Lesson 7, students examined facts about their specific small group tree. In this lesson, they compare all of the five trees by examining the All about Trees anchor chart, a synthesized version of the Tree: Small Group Notes. Areas in which students may need additional support: Students may need additional support transferring their ideas from the small group notes to their individual notes. Down the road: Work Time C provides another instance for students to identify patterns among the animals that depend on the various trees. This prepares them for the third Science Talk in Lesson 9. Recall that in Lessons 8-9, students use their Tree: Individual Notes to complete the writing for their performance task.

Teaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Poem and Movement: "Connecting Trees" (5 minutes)

2. Work Time

A. Preparing for a Science Talk: Tree: Individual Notes (20 minutes)

B. Unit 3 Assessment, Part II: Science Talk (15 minutes)

C. Shared Reading: All about Trees Anchor Chart (15 minutes)

3. Closing

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards:

This lesson follows the same structure as Lesson 5. Please refer to that lesson for more detail, as necessary.

How this lesson builds on previous work:

In Lesson 7, students added to their Tree: Small Group Notes about their specific trees. In Work Time A, they use those notes to create their own individual notes and to help them prepare for a Science Talk.
In Lesson 7, students examined facts about their specific small group tree. In this lesson, they compare all of the five trees by examining the All about Trees anchor chart, a synthesized version of the Tree: Small Group Notes.

Areas in which students may need additional support:

Students may need additional support transferring their ideas from the small group notes to their individual notes.

Down the road:

Work Time C provides another instance for students to identify patterns among the animals that depend on the various trees. This prepares them for the third Science Talk in Lesson 9.
Recall that in Lessons 8-9, students use their Tree: Individual Notes to complete the writing for their performance task.

In Advance

Prepare:

A jar of soil to show students during the Opening.
Tree: Individual Notes Symbols 2 by printing one copy per student and cutting them into strips to ease the fine motor demand on students (see supporting Materials).
Symbols of animals for the All about Trees anchor chart by making two copies and cutting out each animal.

Distribute Materials for Work Time A at student workspaces.
Determine groups of three or four students for the Science Talk in Work Time B, with one student from each of the different research groups. Also consider which groups you will observe today and which groups you will observe in Lesson 9.
Post: Learning targets and 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 1-2 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.

Supporting English Language Learners

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards K.1.A.1, K.1.B.5, and K.I.B.6

Important points in the lesson itself

The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs by returning to practice reading and reciting poetic syntax and Vocabulary in "Connecting Trees." Students build Vocabulary and fluency discussing content-specific knowledge as they prepare for and participate in a Science Talk for the Unit 3 Assessment.
ELLs will benefit from recursive exposure to the words and syntax they have learned throughout this unit and previous ones. Consider creating a "grab bag" of adjectives to use in a game during the Opening. Pull out one adjective at a time and ask students to use it in a sentence. See how many adjectives the group can use in 1 minute.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

After the Science Talk, invite students to share what went well and what they think could be improved in the next Science Talk. Take note to celebrate what went well and to address areas of growth, whether with content, syntax, Vocabulary, or equitable participation.

For heavier support:

During the Science Talk, circulate and take note of correct use of syntax and Vocabulary as well as miscues. After the discussion is complete, highlight a few examples without attributing them to a particular student. Ask students to explain how each miscue could be corrected.

Universal Design for Learning

Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students as they generalize skills that they learned from the previous lesson to set themselves up for success in the Science Talk.
Multiple Means of Action & Expression (MMAE): In this lesson, students participate in a Science Talk for the Unit 3 Assessment. Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for the task and level of difficulty expected.
Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): To sustain engagement, continue to remind students of the learning goals and their value or relevance.

Vocabulary

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

Review:

adjectives, patterns (L)
touches, underground, crumbly, shines, tiny, connected (T)

Materials

"Connecting Trees" (from Lesson 6; one to display)
Jar of soil (one to display)
Tree: Individual Notes (begun in Lesson 6; added to during Work Time A; one per student)
Tree: Individual Notes Symbols 2 (one per student)
Scissors (one pair per student)
Glue stick (one per student)
Tree: Individual Notes (from Lesson 6; example, for teacher reference)
Tree: Small Group Notes (begun in Lesson 5; one per small group)

Coast Redwood: Small Group Notes (one per this small group)
Paper Birch: Small Group Notes (one per this small group)
Quaking Aspen: Small Group Notes (one per this small group)
Weeping Willow: Small Group Notes (one per this small group)
Live Oak: Small Group Notes (one per this small group)

Tree: Small Group Notes (from Lesson 5; example, for teacher reference)
Pinky Partners Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
Science Talk Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
All about Trees anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6; added to during Work Time C)
All about Trees anchor chart (begun in Lesson 6; example, for teacher reference)
Perseverance anchor chart (begun in Module 2)
Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart (begun in Module 2)

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.

Opening

Opening	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Poem and Movement: "Connecting Trees?" (5 minutes) Gather students whole group. Display the poem "Connecting Trees" and read the title. Follow the same routine established in Modules 1-2 to read the "Connecting Trees" poem. Direct students' attention to the posted poem. Invite students to first listen as you read the poem fluently and without interruption. Invite students to do the motions or gestures to go with the poem. Review the definition of adjectives (words that describe something) as needed. Tell students that since the poem describes different things connected to trees, they will think about one of them and use adjectives to describe it. Today, they will use adjectives to describe soil because the roots of the tree are connected to the soil. Show students a jar of soil. Invite students to smell, touch, and look at the soil and brainstorm some adjectives: "How can you describe this soil using adjectives?" (Responses will vary, but may include: brown, crumbly, dark, dirty, etc.) If productive, cue students to add on to what a classmate said: "Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." If time allows, reread the poem with students and invite them to read along and give a thumbs-up when they hear an adjective.	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with language: (Practicing Parts of Speech Game: Adjectives) If time permits, consider adding a game in which students are challenged to use as many adjectives as possible within 1 minute. See Supporting English Language Learners section for more details. (MMR, MME) For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "When/the rain falls,/it touches a tree/and it drinks it." ("Connecting Trees" poem) Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure: it: "What does it refer to?" The rain (pronoun) touches: "What does it, the rain, do when it falls?" It touches something (verb) a tree: "What does it, the rain, touch?" a tree (noun) Practice: When the rain falls it touches ____________. [the street/a plant/a cow]. Suggested question: What else does the rain touch when it falls? Does that thing drink it? Why or Why not? Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask: "How does a tree drink the rain?" "How does this Language Dive add to your understanding of what trees need?" Practice: When the rain falls, it touches me and I __________ [drink it/get wet/collect it/play with it]. Ask: "Was this sentence difficult or easy to understand? Why? What words could we replace it with in this sentence?"

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Poem and Movement: "Connecting Trees?" (5 minutes)

Gather students whole group.
Display the poem "Connecting Trees" and read the title.
Follow the same routine established in Modules 1-2 to read the "Connecting Trees" poem.

Direct students' attention to the posted poem.
Invite students to first listen as you read the poem fluently and without interruption.
Invite students to do the motions or gestures to go with the poem.

Review the definition of adjectives (words that describe something) as needed.
Tell students that since the poem describes different things connected to trees, they will think about one of them and use adjectives to describe it. Today, they will use adjectives to describe soil because the roots of the tree are connected to the soil.
Show students a jar of soil.
Invite students to smell, touch, and look at the soil and brainstorm some adjectives:

"How can you describe this soil using adjectives?" (Responses will vary, but may include: brown, crumbly, dark, dirty, etc.)

If productive, cue students to add on to what a classmate said:

"Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think."

If time allows, reread the poem with students and invite them to read along and give a thumbs-up when they hear an adjective.

For ELLs and students who may need additional support with language: (Practicing Parts of Speech Game: Adjectives) If time permits, consider adding a game in which students are challenged to use as many adjectives as possible within 1 minute. See Supporting English Language Learners section for more details. (MMR, MME)
For ELLs: Mini Language Dive. "When/the rain falls,/it touches a tree/and it drinks it." ("Connecting Trees" poem)

Deconstruct: Discuss the sentence and each chunk. Language goals for focus structure:

it: "What does it refer to?" The rain (pronoun)
touches: "What does it, the rain, do when it falls?" It touches something (verb)
a tree: "What does it, the rain, touch?" a tree (noun)
Practice: When the rain falls it touches ____________. [the street/a plant/a cow]. Suggested question: What else does the rain touch when it falls? Does that thing drink it? Why or Why not?

Reconstruct: Reread the sentence. Ask:

"How does a tree drink the rain?"

"How does this Language Dive add to your understanding of what trees need?"

Practice: When the rain falls, it touches me and I __________ [drink it/get wet/collect it/play with it]. Ask:

"Was this sentence difficult or easy to understand? Why? What words could we replace it with in this sentence?"

Work Time

Work Time	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Preparing for a Science Talk: Tree: Individual Notes (20 minutes) Refocus students whole group. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud: "I can describe what animals depend on my tree using my research notes." Tell students that similar to Lesson 6, they will use their small group notes about their specific tree to create their own individual notes. These notes will help them get ready to do a Science Talk and later write their booklets for their informational collage. Follow the same routine from Work Time A of Lesson 6 to guide students through completing their individual notes. Display the Tree: Individual Notes and the Tree: Individual Notes Symbols 2. Review the columns as needed (Tree, Need, and Animal). Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group: "Based on your research and small group notes that you have made, what part of your notes are you ready to complete today?" (the animals that depend on the tree) Tell students that they will focus on the Animal column of their individual notes today. Focus students on the Tree: Individual Notes Symbols 2 and model how to select, cut out, and glue down an animal using the scissors and glue sticks. Refer to the Tree: Individual Notes (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Remind students that they should use their Tree: Small Group Notes to help them create accurate notes. Refer to the Tree: Small Group Notes (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Tell students that they will find the Materials they need at their workspaces (Tree: Small Group Notes, Tree: Individual Notes, Tree: Individual Notes Symbols 2, glue sticks, scissors). Transition students to their workspaces with their research groups. Invite students to review their Tree: Small Group Notes with their research groups as necessary. Invite students to begin working. Circulate to support them as they work. After 10 minutes, invite students to bring their individual notes and return to the whole group area. Tell students they are going to use the Pinky Partners protocol to share their Tree: Individual Notes. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 6 and review as necessary using the Pinky Partners protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Guide students through the protocol using the prompt: "What do trees provide for other living things?" Tell students that next they will share what they have learned about their tree in a Science Talk!	For ELLs: (Reflection) During the preparation for the Science Talk, encourage students to share with a partner and then the whole class some of the things that went well in the last Science Talk and some things that they would like to do better.
B. Unit 3 Assessment, Part II: Science Talk (15 minutes) Offer students specific, positive feedback on their hard work creating their individual notes. With excitement, tell students they are going to use the Science Talk protocol to share what they have learned about their specific tree with other small groups that focused on different trees. Remind them that they used this protocol in previous lessons and review as necessary using the Science Talk Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Post and review the following sentence frames: "I would like to add _______." "This makes me think _______." Move students into pre-determined groups and guide them through the protocol using the following question: "What does your tree provide to other living things?" As students participate in the Science Talk, circulate to observe pre-selected students and use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to document progress toward SL.K.1a and SL.K.1b. Gather students whole group after 10 minutes. Offer specific, positive feedback on their work in the Science Talk.	For ELLs: (Strategy Recall) Invite students to recall the frames and gestures to share information with a small group. If needed, remind students of the frame "I would like to add _____" and corresponding gesture, as well as the frame "That makes me think ______" and corresponding gesture. Before students begin the Science Talk, help them anticipate and manage frustration by modeling what to do if they get stuck on building onto others' ideas. Consider providing index cards of previously taught sentence frames as support for communication and frustration. (MMR, MMAE, MME)
C. Shared Reading: All about Trees Anchor Chart (15 minutes) Tell students that they have just learned about how many different types of trees provide food for living things. They will now look closely to find patterns among the different trees. Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the first one aloud: "I can discuss the needs of my tree and identify patterns among different types of trees." Review the definition of pattern (something that is the same and repeats over and over again) as needed. Remind them they have learned that researchers seek out patterns in the world around them. Direct students' attention to the All about Trees anchor chart and tell them that you looked at all the Tree: Small Group Notes that they created and put all the information on one chart so they can find patterns! Read aloud the anchor chart. Ask: "What hand gesture or motion can we do to show how the tree provides animals with food?" (Responses will vary, but may include: different animals eating different parts of the tree.) Reread the anchor chart and invite students to read it with you while doing their hand motions or gestures. Tell students that they will look through the information about all of the trees to find patterns. To help find the patterns, they will think about how the trees are the same and different. Follow the same routine from Work Time C of Lesson 6 to add things to the All about Trees anchor chart: Turn and Talk: "What is the same about all of these trees?" (Responses may vary, but should include: They all provide animals with food.) Circulate and listen in as students discuss, referring them back to the anchor chart as necessary. Select a few volunteers to share out. Record one or two ideas on the All about Trees anchor chart. Refer to the All about Trees anchor chart (example, for teacher reference) as necessary. Repeat this process for the following questions: "What is different about all of the trees?" (Different animals eat from different trees.) "What is a pattern you notice about all of the trees?" (All of the trees need water.) If productive, cue students to agree or disagree and explain why: "Do you agree or disagree with what your classmate said? Why? I'll give you time to think."	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with Vocabulary: (Deconstructing the Learning Target) Consider underlining and briefly reviewing the word discuss, offering simpler synonyms, such as talk about, and a few examples of the word in a sentence. (MMR)

Closing & Assessments

Closing	Meeting Students' Needs
A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes) Refocus students whole group. Offer specific, positive feedback on finding patterns in the All about Trees anchor chart. Direct students' attention to the Perseverance anchor chart and briefly review it. Tell students they are going to use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 5 and review as necessary using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.) Guide students through the two rounds of the protocol using the following questions: "What was challenging for you today?" "How did you use perseverance to complete your work?"	For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Example/Non-example: Learning Target) To reinforce the nuanced meaning of perseverance, as students share examples consider modeling/inviting students to give non-examples as well. (MMR)

Closing

Meeting Students' Needs

A. Reflecting on Learning (5 minutes)

Refocus students whole group.
Offer specific, positive feedback on finding patterns in the All about Trees anchor chart.
Direct students' attention to the Perseverance anchor chart and briefly review it.
Tell students they are going to use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lesson 5 and review as necessary using the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol anchor chart. (Refer to the Classroom Protocols document for the full version of the protocol.)
Guide students through the two rounds of the protocol using the following questions:

"What was challenging for you today?"

"How did you use perseverance to complete your work?"

For ELLs and students who may need additional support with comprehension: (Example/Non-example: Learning Target) To reinforce the nuanced meaning of perseverance, as students share examples consider modeling/inviting students to give non-examples as well. (MMR)

EL Education Curriculum