Reading and Writing: Focused Read-aloud, Session 2: Oliver’s Tree | EL Education Curriculum

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ELA GK:M4:U1:L7

Reading and Writing: Focused Read-aloud, Session 2: Oliver’s Tree

In this Lesson

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These are the CCS Standards addressed in this lesson:

  • RL.K.1: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
  • RL.K.3: With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.
  • RL.K.4: Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.
  • RL.K.5: Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
  • RL.K.9: With prompting and support, compare and contrast the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar stories.
  • 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.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.
  • SL.K.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.
  • LK.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • LK.1b: Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
  • L.K.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • L.K.2a: Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the pronoun I.
  • L.K.2b: Recognize and name end punctuation.
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Daily Learning Targets

  • I can identify and describe the characters, settings, and major events using key details from the text Oliver's Tree. (RL.K.1, RL.K.3, RL.K.4, RL.K.9)
  • I can describe the different ways people can enjoy trees. (W.K.8, SL.K.4, L.K.1b, L.K.2a, L.K.2b, L.K.6)

Ongoing Assessment

  • During the read-aloud in Work Time A, continue to use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to check student progress toward SL.K.2 and the Reading Literature Checklist to track progress toward RL.K.1, RL.K.2, RL.K.3, and RL.K.4 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).
  • Collect students' Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 and use the Language Checklist to track progress toward W.K.8, L.K.1b, L.K.2a, L.K.2b, and L.K.6 (see Assessment Overview and Resources).

Agenda

AgendaTeaching Notes

1. Opening

A. Shared Reading: Asking Questions to Understand Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

2. Work Time 

A. Focused Read-aloud, Session 2: Oliver's Tree, Pages 17-30 (20 minutes)

B. Engaging the Artist: Pencil Sketching (20 minutes)

C. Independent Writing: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 (10 minutes)

3. Closing and Assessment 

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 (5 minutes)

Purpose of lesson and alignment to standards: 

  • This is the final lesson with focused read-alouds of Oliver's Tree. Students help complete the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree and practice verbally making comparisons between characters in preparation for the Unit 1 Assessment in Lessons 8-9.
  • In Work Time B, students complete a new tree sketch and learn that artists create more than one sketch of the same image. Before they sketch, they practice using descriptive language to talk about what their tree parts image looks like and ways people could enjoy that part of the tree (SL.K.4).

How this lesson builds on previous work: 

  • Students continue to write and sketch about ways to enjoy trees in their Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1. 

Areas in which students may need additional support: 

  • Continue to consider providing alternative writing tools to students who need support with fine motor tasks during writing and sketching time.

Down the road: 

  • In Lessons 8-9, students will use the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree to complete the Unit 1 Assessment (RL.K.9, SL.K.2). 
  • Students continue to sketch in Lessons 8-9. In Lesson 8, they learn to outline a chosen sketch in black ink in preparation for the performance task in Unit 3.

In Advance

  • Prepare:
    • Student workspaces with materials for sketching in Work Time B: tree parts images, pencils, and paper.
    • Student workspaces with materials for independent writing in Work Time C: Enjoying Trees journal and colored pencils.
    • Trees Are Important Word Wall cards for jump and pile. 
  • Post: Learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

  • Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout Modules 1-3 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.I.B.6, K.I.C.12, and K.II.A.1

Important points in the lesson itself

  • The basic design of this lesson supports ELLs with opportunities to expand their content knowledge and oral language fluency through a focused read-aloud, discussion, and supported writing practice.
  • ELLs may find it challenging to focus simultaneously on comprehension and textual analysis in the story. Provide students wait time to process the text you read and the questions you pose. Encourage students to share any words or ideas they don't understand using the prompts from the Asking Questions to Understand anchor chart.

Levels of support

For lighter support:

  • During Work Time A, ask students to retell in pairs key details and what the similarities and differences were between the characters in the beginning of the book. Call on a few partners to share out what they discussed.

For heavier support:

  • During Work Time A, consider giving small groups of students the opportunity to role-play the major events of the story. 
  • During Work Time C, consider working closely with a group of students to complete their paragraphs as a shared writing experience.

Universal Design for Learning

  • Multiple Means of Representation (MMR): Continue to support students as they incorporate the most valuable information from the text into existing knowledge. Provide explicit cues or prompts to support students in attending to the features that matter most. Before reading the text, activate background knowledge by previewing the questions you will ask.
  • Multiple Means of Action and Expression (MMAE): Continue to support students in setting appropriate goals for their effort and the level of difficulty expected during this lesson. 
  • Multiple Means of Engagement (MME): Continue to provide targeted feedback that encourages sustained effort during each activity and encourages the use of specific supports and strategies, such as the Word Wall and peer support.

Vocabulary

Key: Lesson-Specific Vocabulary (L); Text-Specific Vocabulary (T)

New:

  • pile, jump (L)

Review:

  • comparison, sketching (L)

Materials

  • Asking Questions to Understand anchor chart (begun in Lesson 2)
  • Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree (begun in Lesson 6; added to during Work Time A; see supporting materials)
  • Speaking and Listening Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Reading Literature Checklist (for teacher reference; see Assessment Overview and Resources)
  • Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree (begun in Lesson 6; example, for teacher reference)
  • Model of pencil sketch 2 (one to display)
  • Pencils (one per student)
  • Paper (blank; several pieces per student)
  • Tree parts images (from Lesson 6; one set per workspace)
  • Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 (begun in Lesson 2; added to during Work Time C; page 5; one per student)
  • Enjoying Trees image 5 (one to display)
  • Colored pencils (a variety of colors per student)
  • Trees Are Important Word Wall cards (new; teacher-created; two)
  • Trees Are Important Word Wall (begun in Lesson 1; added to during Work Time C)
  • Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face anchor chart (begun in Module 2)

Materials from Previous Lessons

New Materials

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

OpeningMeeting Students' Needs

A. Shared Reading: Asking Questions to Understand Anchor Chart (5 minutes)

  • Gather students whole group. 
  • Tell students they have done excellent work reading different stories and discovering how different characters enjoy trees. 
  • Direct students' attention to the Asking Questions to Understand anchor chart.
  • Read each bullet aloud, pausing after each idea to invite students to think of a motion or hand gesture to show the different ideas. 
  • If time permits, invite students to use their motions and reread the anchor chart.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with engagement: (Call and Response: Review of Anchor Chart) As you read the chart, consider reading each bullet twice and leaving out part of the question for the students to fill in chorally. (MME)

Work Time

Work TimeMeeting Students' Needs

A. Focused Read-aloud, Session 2: Oliver's Tree, Pages 17-30 (20 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Display Oliver's Tree. 
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What type of text is this?" (a storybook)

"How do you know?" (It tells the story of Oliver and his friends.)

  • Direct students' attention to the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree and review the titles of the rows and columns. Remind students that they have already worked to figure out the major events from the beginning of the story, so today they will focus on the important things that happen in the middle and the end. 
  • Review comparison (to notice what is the same or different) as needed.
  • Tell students that today they will focus on comparisons of the characters' experiences in the middle and end of the book.
  • Direct students' attention to the learning targets and read the first one aloud:

"I can identify and describe the characters, settings, and major events using key details from the text Oliver's Tree."

  • Redirect students' attention to the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree and read it aloud. Invite them to use hand gestures or motions to act out the major events as you read them. 
  • Tell students that now that they remember what happened at the beginning of the story, they will dive into the middle and end of the story.
  • Throughout the focused read-aloud, consider using the Speaking and Listening Checklist to track student progress toward SL.K.2 and the Reading Literature Checklist to track progress toward RL.K.1, RL.K.2, and RL.K.3.
  • Read aloud pages 17-28.
  • On pages 21-22 and 25-28, pause after showing students the illustrations and follow the same routine used in Work Time A of Lesson 6 to guide students through discussing what the illustrations show the characters doing with the trees on each page:
    • Invite students to look closely at the illustrations. 
    • Turn and Talk:

"What do the illustrations show the characters doing with trees on this page?"

    • Circulate to identify one student who accurately names what is happening in the illustration. 
    • Invite a student to share out. 
    • Invite students to act out what happens on the page.
  • Direct students' attention to the Middle section of the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"How does Oliver feel in the middle of the story about trees?" (He feels sad that he cannot play in them like his friends.)

"What does Oliver do in the middle with trees?" (He falls asleep.)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the Middle section of the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree. Refer to the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree (example, for teacher reference) as necessary.
  • Think aloud that Oliver and his friends Charlie and Lulu do different things with trees. 

"How do Charlie and Lulu feel in the middle of the story?" (They feel sad that Oliver cannot play.)

"What do Charlie and Lulu do in the middle with trees?" (They build a treehouse.)

  • Reread the Middle section of the anchor chart. Tell students that you will compare and contrast the characters, or find how they are similar or different. Ask:

"What do Oliver and Charlie/Lulu do with trees at the middle of the story that is the same?" (They all feel sad.)

"What do Oliver and Charlie/Lulu do with trees at the middle of the story that is different?" (Oliver falls asleep, and Charlie and Lulu build a treehouse.)

  • Read aloud pages 29-30 fluently.
  • On pages 29-30, pause after showing students the illustrations and follow the process above for discussing what is happening in the illustrations. 
  • Direct students' attention to the End section of the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree. Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What does Oliver do in the end with trees?" (He uses his imagination to play in a tree.)

  • As students share out, capture their responses in the End section of the Character Comparison Anchor Chart: Oliver's Tree. Think aloud that Oliver and his friends Charlie and Lulu do similar and different things with trees. 

"What do Charlie and Lulu do in the end with trees?" (They use their imaginations to play in a tree.)

  • Reread the End section of the anchor chart. Tell students that you will compare and contrast the characters, or find how they are similar or different. Ask:

"What do Oliver and Charlie/Lulu do with trees at the end of the story that is the same or different?" (They are the same because they all play using their imagination.)
  • For ELLs: (Errors) As students are talking, jot down and share with the class samples of effective communication and one or two common language errors (pervasive, stigmatizing, critical).
  • For students who may need additional support with comprehension: Activate prior knowledge of the text by inviting students to recall pages 1-16 of Oliver's Tree. (MMR)

B. Engaging the Artist: Pencil Sketching (20 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group. 
  • Offer specific, positive feedback about how they carefully thought about the characters and main events in Oliver's Tree. 
  • With enthusiasm, tell students they will have the opportunity to work with sketching again to create art that shows the different parts of trees that people can and should appreciate!
  • Remind students that a sketch is a quick pencil drawing that artists do to show what an object looks like. 
  • Tell students that artists often make multiple sketches of the same object. This helps them practice and also makes their sketching better.
  • Display the model of pencil sketch 2. Share that this is an example of a few sketches of the same object. 
  • Using a total participation technique, invite responses from the group:

"What do you notice is the same or different among the sketches displayed?" (They look the same; one is bigger; one is smaller, etc.)

Conversation Cue: "Who can add on to what your classmate said? I'll give you time to think." (Responses will vary.)

  • Tell students that today they will have a lot of time to sketch and that their goal is to do their best on one sketch. If they finish, they can start a second sketch, even a third, but they must be of the same object. Doing this will help them improve their sketching skills!
  • Invite students to transition to their workspaces like a leaf floating in the wind, where they will find pencils, paper, and tree parts images. 
  • Tell students to choose an image they want to sketch today. 
  • Turn and Talk:

"What part of the tree did you choose? How could someone enjoy that part of the tree?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Guide students through Step 1 of the sketching routine. 

1. Closely observe the tree parts image.

      • Look at the whole picture and look for shapes.
      • Look from the bottom to the top and say what you notice.
      • Look from side to side and say what you notice.
      • Zoom into one specific spot and notice the types of lines.
  • Turn and Talk:

"What types of lines and shapes do you notice in your tree parts image?" (Responses will vary.)

  • Guide students through Steps 2-6 of the sketching routine established in Work Time B of Lesson 6:

2. Trace the spot you chose with your pencil's eraser. 
3. With your eraser, draw the same line or shape on your paper.
4. Draw over the eraser mark lightly with your pencil. 
5. Repeat Steps 2-4 until the image is complete. 
6. Make changes and add details to your sketch as desired.

  • Remind students that if they finish one sketch, they can begin working on more sketches of the same image.
  • For ELLs: (Comparing and Contrasting: Sketches) Invite students to find a different partner from Lesson 6 and compare and contrast their sketches. Model a possible dialogue before they begin. (Example: "My sketch is similar to my partner's sketch because ________. My sketch is different from my partner's sketch because _______.")
  • For students who may need additional support with self-regulation: Help students anticipate and manage frustration by modeling what to do if their sketch doesn't look like they want. (Example: "I wanted my lines there to be more straight than they look. When I do my next sketch, I can remember to make those lines straighter than in this first one.") (MME)

C. Independent Writing: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 (10 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group.
  • Direct students' attention to the posted learning targets and read the second one aloud:

"I can describe the different ways people can enjoy trees."

  • Follow the same routine from Work Time C of Lesson 3 to guide students through writing and sketching in their Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 using Enjoying Trees image 5 and colored pencils.
    • Before students begin writing, add the Trees Are Important Word Wall cards for jump (push yourself in the air with the strong movement of your legs) and pile (a mass of things that forms a small hill) to the Trees Are Important Word Wall using the same process established in Modules 1-3.
    • Circulate to support students as they work and use the Speaking and Listening Checklist to track their progress toward SL.K.4. 
  • For ELLs: (Home Language Connection: Contributing to the Word Wall) Remind students to post the translations of new vocabulary in their home languages on the Word Wall.
  • For students who may need additional support with expressive skills: Consider charting some words and phrases from the text as scaffolding for independent writing. (MMAE)

Closing & Assessments

ClosingMeeting Students' Needs

A. Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face Protocol: Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1 (5 minutes)

  • Refocus students whole group and offer specific, positive feedback on their work describing how people enjoy trees in their Enjoying Trees Journal, Part 1.
  • Remind students that throughout the lesson, they observed different tree parts and discussed how people might enjoy that part of the tree. They also closely observed a photograph of a child enjoying a leaf pile.
  • Tell students that today they will share some of their descriptive writing in their journal with a partner. 
  • Invite students to quickly pick a journal page they would like to share with a partner. Give them a minute to practice what they will say to their partner about their sketch and writing by whispering into their hand. 
  • Tell students they are going to use the Back-to-Back and Face-to-Face protocol to share their chosen page. Remind them that they used this protocol in Lessons 5-6 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 protocol.
  • For ELLs and students who may need additional support with monitoring progress: (Metacognition) Invite students to restate how and what they learned about trees in this lesson before reminding them. (MMAE)

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